Strawberry Poison
by datplushass
Summary: 21-year-old Rukia Kuchiki is living in the heart of New York and she is just living life, seeings the days pass by. But one day changes her life completely. And she has no idea what or who she will encounter along the way. AU, Slight OOC, various pairings
1. You Said What Now?

_How did I get myself into this?_

_How in the hell did I get here?_

_Why is this happening to me?_

Those were my thoughts that were trying to distract me from the grim situation at the time, but my body wouldn't move. Every muscle in my body was paralyzed with fear, and the fact that I was crying a river didn't help at _all. _I was the only person at the scene, because I was the only one who knew about it. I was in a complete state of hysteria and I couldn't regain my composure no matter how many times I tried. But that was _then_.

Six months have passed, and even now, I break down whenever I think about it. That same flashback is always playing in my mind, never stopping, and constantly reminding me of the pain and agony I endured. I don't know how he's doing, but every time I hear his name, I get shivers down my back, but at the same time, my heart flutters. God, I sound so sentimental, don't I? Well, it can't be helped. You would feel the same way if you were me. No…wait…that's not right. Nobody can feel what I felt that night, with those exact same emotions that flowed through me. Fear; shame; passion; humility; all in one. _Nobody _could understand how I felt because...well…I…I love that man. Well, _loved._ You might ask 'What do you mean?' or 'Is he still breathing?' or even 'Do you love someone else now?'

To be honest, I haven't a damned clue, so I really don't know how to respond to that. I don't know whether he's dead or alive or even if he _did _love me, but I know one thing. Never, in my entire life have I met such an unruly, inconsiderate…caring person like him. Whoa, didn't mean to darken the mood, folks. It's just…it's hard. There's this saying. It goes: 'When a lovebird dies, the one left behind…it just gives up living so it can join it's mate'…but I don't plan on dying anytime soon. I'm still young. _Too _young to be saying this kind of stuff. It just feels as if a giant, hollow hole replaced hat used to be my heart. He was a big part of my life these past couple of months, and yet, I still remember that genuine scowl of his, the one he wore the first time I laid my eyes on him.

Okay, that's _enough. _I feel like I have aged at least 10 years. To make things simple, I'm gonna start all over, from the very beginning, and explain how I got myself into this mess. But remember: I didn't regret a single second of this entire experience.

It all began on September 23rd, a Wednesday. That was the day that would change my life completely.

In the beginning, it was like any normal day. Wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed, straighten my hair and put on my make-up, find my purse (wherever it was), grab my phone and Ipod, grab a jacket and head out. I lived on the 5th floor. I was always at the very top. There was something about high places that attracted me. I always felt that it was my little sanctuary; as if I could escape the traffic and chaos of today's society. Even if only for a moment or two.

Anyways, I walk down several flights of the rusty stairs, and I walk to _JusIchi's_, a nice, but simple restaurant that a close friend of mine works at. I cross a street or two to get there, but it's not far from my house. While I'm on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change, I dig in my purse from my Ipod and I quickly scroll to the piano song I currently had an obsession for and press my thumb down on the play button and hear the medley of facile notes fill my ears as I quickly jog to the other side and into the bustling restaurant, which was quite packed, surprisingly. I was greeted by several workers and waitresses that knew me from before. I walk over to the small bar they had and knocked on the wood, getting the attention of one of the waiters I knew.

He had short, jet black hair that was somehow _always_ spiky and he has big blue eyes that could light up a whole room and he was so tan. But I kept my cool and took out my headphones so I could hear him clearly.

"Good morning, Rukia. He should be out in a minute."

"All right then, thank you, Shuhei."

And with that, I headed to the courtyard (also the back of the restaurant) and went towards one of the iron tables with an open parasol and plant my behind into the (somewhat) soft cushion of the chair, my fingers tapping rhythmically to the piano piece that was now stuck in my head. I glanced around the space that was filled up with the same iron tables, seeing that there weren't many people present. Aside from a couple necking in the corner and several elderly folks reading the morning paper, I was the only one there. A jaded sigh escaped from my slightly chapped lips as I glanced at my watch, reading '12:15'. I groaned, guessing that my friend was going to be late _again._ So, I dug in my purse for my cellphone, lighter, and box of cigarettes, getting prepared ahead of time for the wait. My index finger lightly flipped open the beige box and snatched the next-to-last cigarette and placed it in between the gap of my lips. Without knowing it, the tip of my tongue accidentally touched the dried tobacco that was rolled up and it retreated back into my mouth, bringing its nasty aftertaste with it, which fueled my urge to quit by just an ounce. Right as I was about to light the end of the cigarette, a thick, but nimble hand stole it right between my fingers. My eyes were covered by a pair of hands, which made me a bit nervous, but then I thought for a moment, knowing for certain it could only be _him._

"Renji, I know it's you, so just give up."

"Nope! You have to listen to my idea!"

"Your idea for _what?_"

I heard a small, but devious chuckle rumble up from the man's chest, which could only mean that he was plotting something that he would know I wouldn't like.

"I'll let go if you listen."

I gave up, letting out a sigh, signaling to the redhead that I would give him my attention. He took the seat next to me and put the cigarette that he stole in his mouth as he dug in his pockets for a lighter, but I leaned in lit it with mine, my hand covering it, so that the wind wouldn't blow out the flame. He gave a nod in thanks as he let out a puff, the grey fog starting to float around us. As he started talking, I took the last cigarette and lit it up, pushing the empty box to the side of the table as I listened to his proposition.

"So, Rukia, how are you doing, financial-wise?"

"Since when do you give a shit about people's money? Are you some kind of financial fairy trying to stop me from maxing out on my credit cards? Ha! Don't make me laugh!"

"Not that you could."

I flicked him on the forehead and right as he opened his mouth to let out a complaint, his cigarette fell out and onto ground, but Renji didn't waste any time in picking it up and putting it back where it was.

Renji was one of the very few people who I could trust. I have known him since I was about four years old and even now we are still the best of friends. He was always there whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on and vice versa. I preferred to think of him as my 'brother' since most of the time, he acted like one. I could tell this guy _anything _and trust him with any secret, knowing that he wouldn't speak a word of it to anybody. We've been to hell and back and, you know what? We were laughing the whole way. He was one of those people who I would always care for, even if we were mad at each other or in a fight. We always make up and apologize within the next hour or so. It just goes to show you how close we are, but anyways, back to the story.

I braced myself for the most idiotic and absurd thing to ever come out of his mouth.

"My point is, you're struggling with money and you know you can't keep on depending on your brother to keep paying for your bills just because he's rich and you don't have a job. I don't mean to sound like a complete jackass, but it's kinda pathetic. You're 21, for crying out loud!"

I closed my eyes as my cigarette burned and I quickly bent it into the ashtray, stomping it repeatedly, causing its embers to fade away gradually.

"All of the things you have said are true, but what do you expect me to do about it?"

I saw a mile-wide grin stretch across the man's face, making me feel even more cautious than I did before.

"That's where I come in. Recently, I took this side job just to make some extra cash, however there are a few catches- but it's all worth it in the end. Ask how much I'm getting paid."

I gave a shrug and he leaned closer towards me, putting his rough hand on my shoulder, his mouth inches away from my ear.

"About $150."

I shot up out of the iron seat, nearly knocking it over as I glared daggers at the man. I pointed my index finger at his nose, poking it as I enunciated each word I yelled.

"You liar! You're just trying to make me feel bad! Why are you lying?_ Nobody _can make that much money! I-"

My mouth was covered by Renji's hand, drawing the attention of the people nearby, staring at us as if we were aliens. The couple that was in the corner broke from their embrace, revealing a bit of their faces.

The woman had long orangeish brown hair that almost ended at her waist, and she wore a bright yellow sundress with a pleated neckline with orange ruffles at the edges. The parasol above the two covered most of her face, but I was able to see that she was giggling a bit. The man next to her wore a white long-sleeved collared shirt with a loose violet tie that fluttered about in the slight gust. I could see black skinny jeans from beneath the table, and I noticed that he had slender, but limber legs. Like the woman, I was unable to see his face, but it was due to the beige cap he was wearing. His auburn short hair stuck out from the edges of the hat, and his color was very similar to the woman's but it was much more bold, and lighter. An ominous, but non-threatening scowl was on his mouth, making me want to say something to him, but I knew he wasn't worth my time.

"Pardon my friend, ladies and gents. Please, continue on with your morning."

'Pardon' my ass. I absolutely _hated _it when he acted like this, and he knew that damn well.

As I continued to resist him and tried to open my mouth to let out a fury of expletives, we exited through the courtyard gate. Renji's gaze was still on the couple, and I got the feeling that he was staring at the man, rather than the woman. That creeped me out a little, but I quickly shrugged it off.

He still had his hand over my mouth, which was starting to bug me since I couldn't breathe. I stuck my tongue out at the man's palm and, as planned, he jerked it away making a huge smirk on my face which stayed there for a couple of minutes. But I didn't see that he wiped all of the saliva on my hair, and I pinched him on the elbow as payback, because I spent a good amount of time fixing my hair, and it's _very _difficult to straighten long, thick hair. I tried to smooth out my hair, but I ended up making it frizzier instead, so I just gave up.

"Ha! That's what you get for being so digusting! Karma can be a pain in the ass, no?"

"_You're _a pain in the ass."

He jumped in front of me and bent down (since I was about a foot shorter than him) and he gave me one of his 'innocent' stares that brought back memories from this movie we watched and cherished when we were younger. His bottom lip started quivering as he stuck it out, and his deep, brown eyes were an extra bonus to the whole pouting look.

"Can you really be that mean to a face like _this_?"

"Hmmm…" I said, turning my back and putting my index finger on the side of my head, making it seem as if I was deep in thought, (when in fact, I was acting.)

"Well?"

"…Yes."

And with that, I pushed him away with my hand in his face, that didn't work out as I expected as I suddenly remembered that I was half his weight and fell, but he caught me, and he pulled me back up.

"Kar-mah. Gets ya ev'ry time."

"Shut up, you idiot. Karma is a superstition that only the weak-minded believe."

"Hey, don't diss karma. It _will _bite you on the ass and when it does, I'm gonna laugh."

"Ha! I highly doubt that happening."  
"Whatever."

"But….what would you say if I told you the job was-"

A shrill ring interrupted him, making him dig in the back pocket of his grey washed-out jeans voicing a couple of grumbles. He fetched out his crimson Sidekick and with a swift turn, the screen flipped, showing the text message that had arrived. I went behind Renji and jumped over his massive back, which made me feel even more of a midget. Once I had a firm grip on his bulky shoulders, I got a look at the text message he got, which puzzled me.

From: Strawberry

Date Received: September 23rd, 2009

Time Received: 12:57

Message:

Zent.

Right as I was about to ask Renji what the text message was about, he immediately started walking, at a rather quick and brusque pace, so that I fell off and hit my rump on the concrete sidewalk. Renji quickly pulled me up and dragged me behind him. I put up quite the fight, but Renji won in the end. I had no idea what was going on, or why Renji was acting so strange.

"Renji, what is…"

He didn't even pay me any attention, which made my blood pressure rise just a bit. He pulled me to the edge of the sidewalk and used that hand to wave in the air as the other hand he used to whistle with two of his fingers, summoning a cab from a nearby lane. Renji opened the passenger's door, but I was hesitant to go in. Hell, you would be too if you had no idea where you were going. He gave me a slight push towards the taxi, but I slapped his hand away and got in myself. Renji got in and slid next to me, slamming the door shut after him. I turned my head towards the window and crossed my arms over my chest tightly as I stared off into the busy street of Broadway Avenue, ignoring the redhead next to me, since he wasn't going to tell_ me _anything. The cab driver turned around and put his arm on the back of his seat, his emerald eyes exchanging a blasé greeting with mine for a short second and then stared down at Renji, who was too busy texting to notice him.

"Hey."

I turn my head to get a better view of the driver, but I realized he wasn't talking to me. He wore a leather cap, but some of his front bangs were still showing. His long crimson hair swished as he moved to scratch his neck, waiting impatiently for Renji to notice what was going on. He let out a groan, trying to get the man's attention, but it still didn't work. I nudged Renji in the ribs, but he swatted me away, which made one of the veins on my forehead pop to life.

"If ya don't pay me to drive, I'm kicking both of yer asses out."

Renji's head snapped up, locking eyes with the redhead.

"Just what the hell is _your _problem?"

"You not paying me, that's what. Either you tell me where ta go, or I will kick yer ass outta my car."

"Fine…how fast can you get to Bennett Street?"

The driver's mouth must have stretched at least a foot to show all of his teeth in a comical, grin. It seemed as if he did that quite often, since it looked very natural for the man to show off all of his teeth in one move.

"Tch, ya kiddin' me? You seriously think I'm yer average everyday person, dontcha?"

"You sure don't act like it."

"Heh, I could say the same for you."

"Whatever, just drive."

And with that, the redhead slammed his foot on the gas and raced towards the middle lane, successfully passing through the yellow traffic light before it turned crimson. I kinda wished that the two would have argued some more because the atmosphere in the car after that was just _dead._ Not even an unexpected sneeze or uncomfortable cough came out of the two. I let out a sigh or two during the trip, but that went without avail. I hated awkward silences; it always felt like I had done something to screw it up but I was as confused as a chameleon on a pile of Skittles. Why was Renji acting so strange? Why did he just pull up a cab? Who sent him that text and what the hell is 'zent'? The more I thought about it, I was only left with more questions than answers.

"Good God, y'all are as quite as the dead. What happen? Did you two get in a fight?"

I had no idea who this guy was, but he had _no _right to be sticking his nose into my business.

"That's not your place to ask," I said, glaring a bit at the meddlesome driver.

"It's not like we _did _have a fight," Renji said in a matter-of-factly tone, which, somehow, was so irritating to me at the time, that I just exploded.

"Excuse _me?_ Do you _need _me to spell it out for you? Out of the fucking blue, you drag me to this cab without saying a goddamned word and you expect me to just, to just sit here like a little innocent shit and say nothing? Oh _hell _no."

"Rukia, chill out."

I froze and gave him the evil eye, which I could see that he soon regretted saying those three words.

"You're telling _me _to chill out? Renji, don't make me flip a shit right here and now."

"Toolate." The driver said in a sing-song tone with his eyes peeled to the road as he pulled a sharp turn.

"You, shut up," I growled, trying so hard to resist myself from strangling that stupid idiot. "And you," I said to Renji. "Either you tell me what the hell is going on with you or I leave."

"Rukia, please calm down. I-"

"Stop the car."

The car skidded to a stop, halting right at the corner of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 163rd. Its motor was still rumbling as I got out of the car and snatched my purse as I got out of the car and swiftly shut the door behind me with my back towards the yellow car as I started to walk away. I heard a door open and slam shut, followed by the angry demand of money from the driver, but it was only answered by the footsteps that quickly followed me. A cold, rough hand clamped down on my shoulder, which made me freeze in my tracks.

"Rukia, tell me what's wrong."

"You know I don't like secrets."

"I'll explain everything later, I-"

I brushed his hand off my shoulder as I shook my head, strands of hair that was tucked behind my ears now flying about.

"No. Tell me _now._ Tell me why you were acting so strange. Tell me what that text message was about. Tell me why you're hiding stuff from me, your best friend! Please…just tell me."

To tell you the truth, I think I overstepped the boundary for being overdramatic, but I just had to calm down, like Renji said. But fellas, here's a piece of advice: if you see a lady stressed out, whether it be your girlfriend, your boss, or even your mother, never, and Shuhei my words when I say never, ever, ever, tell a woman to calm down. That is about the _worst _thing you can do. Well, that or telling them that they put on a few. But my point is, just give us some time, and we will calm down…eventually. But I'm getting side-tracked again.

Anyways, I was just so confused at the time. I had no idea what the hell was going on, and there I was, confronting my best friend, who I have known for 18 years, about a secret he was hiding. I just hate that feeling; you know, the one you get when you're feeling left out.

I snapped back to reality as I felt a sudden pain tugging at my hair, only to see that it was the redhead with his two fingers holding a strand of my bangs with a bored, uninterested look on his face.

"Quit that!" I said through clenched teeth, the pain of my hair being pulled started to pulsate on my scalp.

"I had to get your attention somehow. You were off staring into the distance and you wouldn't answer my question."

"What question?"

"If you wanted to find out what the secret was about."

I froze and my eyes were wide open, staring in disbelief at the tattooed man before me. Here I was, finally given the opportunity to find out what my best friend had been hiding from me for God knows how long, and I was just standing there, gawking at him. I couldn't believe my ears.

"W-What did you just say?"

"Let me say it slowly for you since this will be the _third _time I said this. Do you…or do you not…want to know?"

I was still at a loss for words so I just nodded. He bent down and his mouth was close to my left ear, which in my opinion, was a bit _too _close. He opened his mouth and said,

"I stole five bucks from your purse."

I slowly backed up and slapped him on his the cheek in my rage. No words could explain how angry I was. I saw a hand imprint on the right side of his face and stared at it in skepticism, remembering that it had been ages since I hit Renji like that; and that was only when I was _really _pissed. Like, crazy-PMS-lady pissed. But what really surprised me was that he wasn't mad. His face, (aside from the reddened part) had an expression that somehow seemed as if he understood me. As if he didn't blame me for slapping him (but I could see him wincing at the pain). I can't really describe it. He was in agony (emotionally), but smiling. Disappointed, yet calm. It was something that you would have to see to fully understand the nonsense that it sputtering out of my mouth. I looked at Renji for a moment, and felt an immediate pang of guilt, regretting for making such a rash move.

"I'm sorry," I muttered,

"No, _I _should be apologizing. I have been hiding the truth from you for a long ass time and I feel really bad about it. Tell you what, we'll meet up for coffee at my place around six-ish and I'll tell you _everything_, kay?"

"Sure, but-"

"See ya then!" He yelled as he ran back into the cab, leaving me standing there on the sidewalk like an abandoned child. The yellow car zoomed off and I could see Renji waving to me from the back window. I waved without much movement in response, plastering on a fake smile so he wouldn't see my loneliness. It's funny; I hated being alone but I also hated being crowded. I highly disliked people, so it's only natural I don't have much of a fondness for them. Where the distaste originated from, I haven't a clue. It just popped up out of the blue.

I let out a sigh as a swarm of cars zoomed by me, and I was so grateful that I didn't wear a skirt or dress that day. I started walking the other way back home, staring up at the skyscrapers towering above me and being careful of the busy traffic that was zooming by. I found it a bit ironic that although I had a strong aversion for people, I lived in a city that was just _packed._ I was broken free of my trance by a loud, buzzing horn blaring from a car that was a foot away from running me over. An angry, elderly man waved his fist in the air as several expletives escaped from his mouth, but I just ignored him. Oh, how I loathed ignorant people like him. I started at the sidewalk ahead of me, and it seemed to stretch on for miles. Several unfamiliar buildings caught my eye as I walked until I suddenly realized—I was lost. I started laughing in disbelief, not believing that I had lost myself, in New York City of all places. I groaned and dug in my purse for my phone, but I couldn't find it. I opened it wider, thinking that it must have been hiding deep down in the bag, but it wasn't there.

_Oh my fucking god, you have __**got**__ to be shitting me._

Yes, you would have thought the same thing too if you couldn't find your phone but the only reason why I flipped out was because I needed to ask Renji for directions.

_Wait, I can take a cab! Yes, that's it!_

"Hahaha, yes, that's it! Now, where's my…wallet?"

I was just a complete mess that day. I was trying to figure out a secret, I was lost in a maze, my phone was missing, and I didn't have money for a cab since I left it at home. Isn't that just _lovely? _I saw a street performer across the street and stood at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the light to turn green and when it did, I quickly walked over to the dark-skinned man in dreadlocks who was pounding on the congas, who received an occasional tip or two when people walked by. I stood by, waiting for him to finish, but it didn't look like he was going to be done any time soon.

"Uhm, excuse me? Sir?"

He raised both of his hairy eyebrows at me, holding up his index finger and got his golden tinted glasses that were hanging from the round neckline of his loose purple shirt and put them on, opening his eyes a bit as he saw me.

"Hey there, miss. Can I help ya?"

"Yes. Do you know how to get back to Sullivan Street?"

I heard a stifled laugh from the old man who tried to cover it up with his tattooed hand, but it was still _very _noticeable. Regardless, I still had on my fake smile and pretended as if I hadn't seen nor heard a thing.

"Child, you lost."

"Yes, I know, but I need to know how to get back."

"You plan on walkin'?"

I looked down at the ground as I messed with my braids, trying to avoid his puzzled and unnerving stare.

"Yer soles are gonna be as sore as a bum. Do you know where the hell ya are now?"

"Uh," I looked to the green sign behind me. "Amsterdam Avenue."

"Hmph, it seems not. Child, it's gonna take you at _least _two hours of walking to get where ya need to be."

My jaw dropped.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. I suggest ya git walkin'."

"But how the heck do I get there?"

"Ya go straight 'til ya see-"

"Can you just write it down? I'll forget it."

"Well, why didn't cha say so before I started talking? Ya could have started walking already."

"Sir, I'm not in the mood to argue," I said in a low tone as I fetched a small notepad and a pen, handing it to the man. He took it and set the pad on his knee, holding the blue pen in his right hand and he wrote down the directions, his hand staggering, probably due to old age. I waited for about five minutes or so until he handed it back. I looked in my purse for something that I could give him in thanks, but he waved his index finger, which appeared broken, in my face.

"Ya needn't be thanking me, child. Just a simple word is 'nuff."

"All right then. Thank you sir!" I said as I waved back with the notepad in hand, smiling back. After I had crossed the street, I looked down at the writing, which was a bit smeared, but still legible.

Stay on Amsterdam 'til ya see a fork 'n the road.

"Dang it, I can barely read his handwriting," I muttered as I shuffled in between the swarm of people. I turned back to see if I could ask what he meant, but he was gone, drums and all. I seemed to walk forever on the sidewalk that never ended, which start to make me a bit irate. At times like this, I get my Ipod out and switch to one of my favorites to help pass the time. I quickly scroll down the list of songs and tap on it, feeling the vibrations of the song buzz through my ears. It made the situation a bit lighter. I could always count on music to lift my spirits. It was an odd relationship, if you asked me to define it.

2. Go left to Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

I swiftly ran across the street when the light shone green, and the horde behind me crowded the entire crossing. If I hadn't been holding my purse tightly, someone for sure would have stolen something when I wasn't looking.

"_I stole five bucks from your purse."_

"Damn you, Renji. I could have taken a damn cab if I had five dollars. Well, I could have gotten _somewhere._"

"People're gonna think yer crazy if yer mutterin' t' yerself." A voice said behind me.

God, that voice still brings me back. It could make me angry, and soothe me at the same time. It's been ages since I last heard that tone, which made a flood of emotions to rumble in my heart every time I heard it.

"And who the hell are _you?_" I asked, turning around, recognizing the man before me. It was the same guy I saw at _JusIchi's _that Renji was staring at but he seemed a bit intimidating since he was like, two feet taller than me. But I didn't see his lady anywhere.

"That don't matter but I have a feeling yer lookin' fer this piece a' junk," The blonde giant said as he got my phone out of the pocket of his jeans. I snatched it from his hand, and flipped it open to call Renji, but it was dead.

_Lovely._

"How did you find my phone?"

"Yer stupid self left it on the table at the restaurant and my friend kept naggin' at me to return it, so, here ya go, my job's done. Ciao."

"Whoa, hold up a second there, buddy," I tugged on his sleeve, holding him back, which made him scowl back at me.

"What the hell's yer problem?"

"You mind answering a few questions?"

"What are ya, a cop?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Guess not. We'll walk 'n' talk."

"Okay, uhm, how on Earth did you find me?"

"It was easy. Yer the only one that's less than five feet."

"I'm not that short." I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest, "What's with the way you talk?"

"What about it?"

"It's weird."

"So is a 4 ft Japanese-lookin' girl wanderin' in the middle of the heart 'a New York, but you don't see _me _complainin' "

"You're judgmental, you know that?"

"I ain't a judge."

I gave up. It was like trying to communicate with someone who spoke a different tongue.

"What's your name?"

"Where the hell did that come from?" The man asked with his hands intertwined behind his head.

"Since I'm asking you all of these questions, don't you think I should at least have your name?"

"Mr. Collins. And you are…?" He asked, bending over a bit and holding out his hand, which I noticed had three tattooed dots in the shape of a triangle on the webbed part between his thumb and index finger.

"Ms. L."

"Let's hear it."

"Eh?"

"Yer last name."

"Why?"

"'Cause."

"Kuchiki."

"So, ya _are _Japanese."

"I thought you said you already knew. Besides, you can't tell just by a last name."

"I said ya _looked _Japanese. That, plus ya can kinda tell a person's roots by their last name."

"Stop trying to act like a smart ass."

"I'll prove it. Oi, lady in the red! Git over hur!" The man hollered, waving his hand. I jumped on him to put his hand down, trying not to make a scene, but it wasn't working every well.

"Put your hand down, you retard! You can't just call to strangers! You don't even know her! What if she is a sex-offender or something?"

"She's hot as fuck, so if she did do something, it wouldn't be 'sidered 'rape' because-"

"Okay, you horn dog, I get the picture!" I muttered, getting off the man's back.

"Heh, ya know what yer problem is?" He chuckled.

"I didn't even ask nor do I want to know."

"Yer too uptight. Yer like a violin whose strings are tuned too tight. What is it? Work? Yer boytoy broke up wit' cha? Yer phone?" The man asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"None of the above." I said in a jaded tone.

"Then what?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you!"

"What'd _I _do?"

"Sticking yur, er, _your _big pointy nose in my business."

"Numba one, ya said it wrong. Numba two, just my nose is fine as is, so shut yer trap, ya midget and numba three, what happen' t' the questionin'?"

"Whatever, like I care about your bad grammar. Oh, I just remembered."

"What?"

"Do you have any relation to the man I was sitting beside this morning?" I asked, scanning his face for any flinches that he might make, but his face was as solid as a rock.

"...Maybe."

"What?" I asked eagerly, accidentally tripping on my shoelace and falling into the street, seeing a vehicle heading in my direction. I was yelling in my mind to move, but my legs wouldn't move. My eyes got big as the truck came closer and I closed them so I wouldn't see the mess, but I felt a rough hand get my wrist and pull to the sidewalk and I landed against something sturdy, yet moving, but I still had my eyes closed so I had no idea what was going on. I fell over something and opened my eyes, seeing that I was on top of the man. My cheeks flushed a deep red in embarrassment, not believing that situation I was in. The bang that was in the middle of my face brushed over his lips, but it didn't seem to bother him. I felt my heart beat a hundred miles an hour, wondering to myself if he could feel it. One of his legs was in between mine, but when I moved, I accidentally kneed him in the groin, which made him wince in pain.

"I am _so _sorry!"

I was only answered by more groans of pain, which drew some attention and dirty glares directed at us.

"Get a room!" One of the people yelled.

The golden-haired man chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

"Ya mind gettin' off anytime soon?"

"Right," I said with my hair covering my face so he couldn't see my embarrassment. He offered both hands (as if I _really _weigh that much) and I took them both, nearly falling over, but he had a firm grip around my waist so I wouldn't fall…again. My cheeks were as red as tomatoes and they stayed that way for a long time, which irritated me. I mean, yeah, he was attractive, but I just met him.

We proceeded to walk without saying a word, and there was an awkward silence between us. I had no clue what to say.

"Did you bleach your hair?"

_Rukia, face it. You're a hopeless romantic._

"Eh?"

"Your hair color. Is it bleached?"

"Nah, it's my natural hair color."

"Are you German?"

"Nah."

"Danish?"

"Nah."

"Then what the heck are you?"

"I'm half 'n' half."

"Of German and Danish?"

"I just said no to those two."

"Then what?"

"The same as you."

"Japanese?"

"Si."

"And Spanish?"

"Nah, I just felt like saying that word."

"Then what?"

"Why do ya need to know?"

"Because I'm bored."

"Well, I ain't tellin'"

"You're no fun," I whined, pushing out my bottom lip a bit so he would see me 'pouting'.

"Hmm, ya prob'ly never heard of the country before."

"Where is it?" I asked with curiosity.

"Near the Adriatic."

"The _what?_"

"It's a sea in South Western Europe. Go look it up."

"But what country specifically?"

"Eh, I dun feel like tellin' a complete stranger all about me. It'd be kinda odd, ne?"

"I suppose," I said with a shrug. "But so is a Japanese man with blonde hair."

"_Half-_Japanese, hun." He corrected me.

"Whatever, you still don't look Japanese."

"Which makes it even harder for people to look for me. When they look for the Strawberry, they expect an average-sized Japanese man with rectangular glasses on the bridge of his nose wit' squinty eyes and short, combed black hair. Well I-"

"Hold up a minute. You referred to yourself as 'Strawberry'. So, you _do _know Renji."

The man was silent, not saying a word as he turned the corner. I had no idea where he was going or even where I was, so I had no choice but to follow him.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Silence.

"Well?"

Silence.

"Answer my-"

He grabbed my shoulders, pulling me closer towards him. He moved one arm over my shoulders while the other was bent in front of me, as if to show me something. The man rested on the edge of my shoulder blade, his mouth hovering right next to my ear lobe.

"You listen t' me and you listen t' me good 'cause I'm only gonna say this once," He said, pointing his index finger from the hand that was hanging limply over my left shoulder to the three tattooed dots on the hand web between his pointer finger and thumb on his right hand.

"I don't see anything; I don't hear anything and, listen caref'lly to this one, hun," He whispered, his warm breath tingling on the insides of my ear.

"I don't say shit."

I could have sworn it was déjà vu all over again. I shook off the man's grip and turned my back towards him, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. If I looked at him for one more second, I would have probably have strangled him. My mind instantly replayed my freak-out moment at Renji, making me experience the exact emotions I felt before, but at a stronger degree this time. I don't know what was the cause of my sudden irritability; whether it was the flashback or the man's cocky response, but either way, I was pissed.

"Is it really _that _secret that you can't say a thing?" I asked.

He stopped in his tracks, as I walked ahead but I soon stopped as well. I turned back and saw that he had his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he looked straight up at the sky, letting out a deep sigh. He changed his sights to the concrete ground below his feet, scratching the back of his spiky mane with one hand as the other fetched something in his pocket. Cigarettes.

My sudden nicotine urge kicked in and I instantly felt an ache in my gut, being painfully reminded that my morning smoke only consisted of one cigarette instead of the usual five. It's a wonder that I didn't have some kind of cancer or health problem, but that's irrelevant right now.

My eyes were locked onto the light blue carton and as much as I wanted to gain control over my addiction, I couldn't look away. It was controlling me like a puppet.

The man caught sight of me and put the cigarette in his mouth and lit up its end, his hazel eyes watching me with a slightly interested expression. He closed his eyes as the end of the cigarette illuminated a bright, amber light, and there was something rather innocent about his face then, that slightly eased my current irritability. But the serene moment was broken as he opened his mouth and held the burning cigarette with his right hand, letting the grey fog that was inside his mouth be quickly swept away by the wind. I stared off into the sky, trying to catch whatever trace of the smoke might be left, but I was unsuccessful in my attempt, seeing that the gust had already blew it away but my trance was broken by a constant tapping on my shoulder.

I returned to reality, seeing that towering man staring down at me, offering a cigarette. I swiped it and held it between my lips as I dug in my purse for a lighter, but when I finally found it, I saw that the end was already lit up.

"Yer welcome," The man grumbled, shaking off a bit of the ash that was clinging onto his cigarette. I scowled away, not wanting to look at him.

"Oh, so now yer pissed?"

"No."

"Then what's buggin' ya?"

"I just don't like secrets; especially when it involves my best friend."

"Oh, that changes things then. I'll tell ya what's up with Pineapple."

My eyes grew wide and my heart was pumping rapidly.

"Really?"

"…Nope," He said with a fox-like grin as he stuck out his tongue, revealing a tattooed '15'. Jeez, could this guy _be _any creepier? And once again, I returned to my foul mood with only a burning cigarette and a man who acted half his age to comfort me. _Fun._ But I gathered up my strength and calmed myself down, reminding myself that I needn't be worked up over the tiniest of things. Even if my blood boiled, I needed to keep my composure.

"Mr. Collins, please hear me out."

"Ah, bein' formal, are we? Sure, I'll lend ya an ear. Maybe even two, depending on my mood."

I took a deep breath in and exhaled, trying to loosen up a bit. It was awkward enough that he was staring down at me. I felt as if a thousand eyes were on me and if I made a single mistake, I'd be utterly humiliated.

"That guy with the red hair, Renji, is my best friend. We have been friends since we were little. He's like a brother to me, but when I find out that he has been hiding a secret from me, I was shocked. But when I questioned you about him, you refused to answer. True, I haven't a clue who you are nor do I care…but I do know you know something about it and somehow, someway, you have a connection with Renji. All that I ask is that you tell me what he is hiding. Please."

The man was silent then, avoiding my gaze as we walked down the never-ending, cement plastered path. Several moments had passed and he still hadn't said a word in response. He bent down and folded his cigarette onto the curb and smushed its embers with his eyes locked onto it as if it might try to run away.

"This Renji…you really care for 'im a lot, dontcha?"

I nodded in reply since I had no idea what to say but what really was on my mind was where he was leading the conversation.

"You said he was like yer brother. How long have ya known him?"

"Over 18 years."

"Well, damn. I guess he _is _like yer brother then."

"Didn't I just say that?"

"Yes, but ya seem to be gettin' worked up 'gain. I'll just get straight to it, then. How much do you care for him?"

"What are you getting at? Of course I care for him. I would give my own life for him!"

The blonde got up from his crouching position and walked towards me, placing his huge hands on my shoulders as he bent down a little, moving his face closer to the left side of my face until I felt something moist, but warm. I was confused because I was trying to figure out what he was doing but my eyes were focused on the zooming airplane above me, but then it just hit me. He _kissed _me. It was longer than a peck, but shorter than a smooch. My entire face was flushed and as soon as he pulled away, I looked down at the ground and my hair fell in front of me, silhouetting my rosy cheeks.

"Then that's all I need to know."

That voice brought me back to reality, and before I knew it, I heard the screech of worn-out tires near the sidewalk and I saw the man heading for the bright yellow car. He got in and closed the door and through the window, I saw him mouth move as his eyes were directed at the driver, his face now seeming a tad depressed. He glanced at me, his eyes penetrating my very soul that it made my knees buckle a bit. The window nearest to him slid down, and he stuck out his grinning face, as I stood there like a dummy, my hand on the cheek that the man kissed me on.

"'Til next time, lutko."

The car sped off and left me as clueless as ever. I didn't know _what _to think. My mind was in the midst of ecstasy and reality. I mean, how would _you _feel if one minute, you're mad at your best friend and then the next, you get kissed by an attractive person? Like, what the fuck? I felt as lost as Alice in Wonderland. And what the hell does 'Lutko' mean? I had no idea what had just happened, but I didn't care to find out. I shook off the mental image of the mysterious man and turned on a corner, recognizing a familiar street that was near my neighborhood. The smell of roasting chicken filled my nostrils, getting a growl from my gut in response. I immediately started to salivate, but then the wet taste of tobacco came in contact with my taste buds, making my mouth instinctively drop open in disgust and in turn, wasted a perfectly good cigarette. I didn't bother to pick it up because I was _starving_.

My legs sped up, bringing me closer and closer to the all too familiar streets. I couldn't help but smile. My longing for home was now stronger than ever. Although I had been gone for an hour or two, it felt like weeks, even months since I had this 'homey' feeling. The excitement got the better of me and I started to run without thinking, simply letting my instincts control me rather than my consciousness.

I cut through an alley and crossed a street, seeing my home at the very top of a stack of poorly-constructed apartments at the curb of my street with a small store at the bottom. I walked into the building, being greeted by a lethargic male clerk who had his elbows up at the glass counter, giving me a slight nod in acknowledgement.

"Hey, Rukia. How's it going?"

I walked over to the glass counter and casually leaned on it, looking at the baby blue calendar behind the man, seeing that tomorrow was 'Rent Day'.

"Hey, Antonio, I haven't seen you around in a while."

"Yeah, well, I have to earn a bit extra money."

"Oh? For what?"

The tall man put a hand through his wavy locks, exhaling a heavy sigh.

"I got myself into some deep shit and if I don't pay it off soon, I'm gonna have some loan sharks on my tail."

"Jeez, I'm sorry to hear that. Give me two packs of Malboro Ultra Lights, please."

"Sure thing," He said, turning around and unlocking the glass case behind him, scanning the rows of cartons. "Uhm, we're out of that right now. Maybe something else?"

"Damn. Uh, how about Camel Reds?"

"Hmmm," The man said, crouching down so he could get a better look. "We're outta stock."

"Marlboro 100's?"

"Nope."

"Misty Menthols?"

"Nu-uh."

"Pyramid 120's?"

"Nada."

"Then what the hell _do _you have?"

The man got up and turned around, giving me a very lethargic, but slightly irritated look through his silver eyes.

"Look, just because I don't have whatcha want doesn't give you the right to get bitchy with me."

"Bitchy? Me? Ha! You have no idea what bitchy is until you get on my bad side, which you're starting to already. I only smoked two, count 'em, two goddamn cigarettes this entire day, and I haven't eaten anything. So, I'd watch your mouth if I were you. We wouldn't want that tongue of yours to be ripped out, right?"

"Tch, I don't see that happening anytime soon. Do you want to buy something or not?"

"Hell yeah, I wanna buy something. I want my cigarettes!"

"Well, I ain't got your cigarettes," The man grumbled as he stretched out his arms, letting out a big yawn as he did so. "You considered about smoking something else?"

"Hell no. That's like trying to tell a bird to walk instead of fly. You don't see that it's really difficult for me to smoke something else that tastes completely different that what I'm used to."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that when you need a smoke, it doesn't matter what the hell you smoke."

"Not me. I only smoke one particular kind of cigarette from one particular kind of brand."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"You idiot, I already told you. I asked you for it and you said you were out."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try something new."

I gave up.

"Fine, I'll take anything," I mumbled, getting my credit card that I hid in an interior pocket of my handbag, which _no one _would have guessed where it was stashed.

"All right then," He said, bending down and grabbing a box. "I think you'll like this one," The russet-haired man grinned as he slid the box across to me after scanning its bar code on the bottom. "Not many smoke it, but nevertheless, it's _far _better than those others you requested earlier."

"We'll just see about that," I mumbled under my breath, not believing the man's cocky reShuhei as I made my way towards the stairs, hearing the register close with the first step I took. The constant jingling of my clinquant lavaliere matched with each step I took on the carpeted stairs. There was no light except for the one that came from the store, but I could still see. At the very top was an elevator whose lambent buttons slightly illuminated the dim space. I got to the very last step and pushed the plastic button whose arrow pointed upward, patiently waiting for the shaft to come down. The sound of the rickety elevator came closer and closer until it halted when it reached its destination, opening its creaky, eerie metal doors. I walked in, my eyes carefully examining the small surrounding around me, which had everything from gang signs sprayed in crimson to a couple's initials carved into poor material that barely managed to cover the two columns of buttons, and half of them didn't appear to function normally.

As the doors closed shut, I pushed the button right above the one at the very top, waiting for a moment or two for the shaft to make its way up to my floor, but after several clangs and rackets, the elevator stopped, opening its dingy doors to show the barely lit hallway, which was very much like a hotel's, but it wasn't as clean, but nobody cared. Well, nobody that _I _knew. I readjusted the leathery strap of my purse so it wouldn't fall off my shoulder as I made my way towards my door, which was the first one on the left, and the only one that didn't have any decorations. I preferred to keep things simple and uncomplicated.

I walked up to my door and got my key, slowly turned the lock and let the door swing wide open as the scent of vanilla and lavender teased my nose, instantly making me lose some of the stress that was built up inside of me. I was so glad to be home; it felt as if I was in Hell for the past couple of hours.

I let out a small squeal as I ran towards my lilac couch and jumped on it, having its giant cushions soften my landing. My face was buried in my favorite pillow, which still had the Febreze that I sprayed this morning still on it, making the smell waft through my nostrils. _That _was my moment of ecstasy…until my addiction kicked in once again.

A loud groan of irritation was let out and I grabbed my purse by the strap and zipped it open with a single hand, all while having my face gradually sinking into the plushy material of the pillow. My hand dug and dug as if it was looking for a prize. Along the way, the tip of my pointer finer bumped into something sharp, but rounded, but its edge slid right under my nail, which, instinctively, caused a muffled hiss to escape my lips. My fingers searched around some more, feeling some odd and familiar textures until it felt something box-like and glossy. A slight grin formed on my lips as I grabbed it, feeling a bit giddy inside. Oh my god, I needed a cigarette so bad at the time. You may call it an 'addiction' but I prefer to think of it more as a requirement for me to function; like, coffee. Most people around the world can't even get out the door without a cup of Joe. So, is it really that wrong to say that cigarettes are like my coffee? Well, regardless of what you think or say, I won't care either way.

I got up from my position and fetched my ivory lighter out of my back pocket and quickly ripped off the plastic wrapping around the box and got a cig, getting a bit excited. My fingers trembled a bit as I did so, due to my anxiety and thrill of finally being able to smoke again. Almost instantly, I put it at the edge of my lips and in one swift move, I lit it up and sucked it in for a moment, exhaling the grey smoke as well as some of my tension. I stared out the window to my right, seeing that the traffic had increased tenfold and so did the noise, which, sooner or later, would give me a migraine. I walked over to the window and slid it shut, enjoying the sudden silence. I'm not much of a 'people person'. I prefer to do things alone, that way, things would flow much smoother and without complications. Believe me, it's _far _easier that way. You may think of me as 'anti-social' but I just think of it as having a strong dislike for people, but, again, I digress.

So, I turn around with my burning cigarette in my hand and as I take a puff, it just hit me.

_This isn't __**my **__cigarette, so…why do I have such a buzz?_

I took another hit to confirm, and goddammit, I was right. I didn't know why but I started liking this one a _lot _better than the previous kind I smoked.

I walked over to the couch to see what kind of cigarette it was, but when I got there, my eyes were widened so much, that it hurt. The box was the _exact, _same one that that freak had. My mind instantly flashed to the kiss and within seconds, I could feel my cheeks heating up.

"Oh _hell _no," were my words as I rushed to the closest mirror to see my face, which was as red as a tomato. My head shook violently with disbelief, but I couldn't help but place the tips of my fingers on the exact same spot where he kissed me, that moment instantly replaying in my mind, which made me loathe myself a bit.

My thoughts were all over the place, but I quickly shook it off, trying to regain focus of whatever the hell I was doing before. I looked around for _anything _to take my mind off of the man.

I walked away from the window and started pacing around with my cigarette on the edge of my mouth, trying to figure out what on Earth to do with my spare time now that I was finally alone, but I couldn't think straight for some reason; and no, it wasn't because of that freak. It was then that I just noticed that my Ipod was still playing. Something must have accidentally pushed the 'play'. I groaned as I made my way towards the couch, getting the black music player out of one of the pockets and clicked the home button twice, seeing that one of my favorite piano pieces was playing. That was it! The piano! I felt like an idiot for not thinking of it earlier.

My legs rushed over to the glass table across from my couch and swiftly swiped the ashtray and placed it on the edge of my piano and sat down on the seat, adjusting myself so that the ends of my shirt were out. The beige folder sitting on the stand caught my eye, and I opened it, my fingers flipped through the corners as my eyes quickly scanned through the sheets' rows of notes. I stopped at a particular piece of music and plucked it out of the folder, carefully placing it on the tray above the keys. I tapped my cigarette on the edge of the ashtray to rid its' excess ash, and I placed it back in my mouth once I prepared myself (both emotionally and physically) for the piece. My hands lightly landed on the solid ivory keys, instantly feeling the cold sensation that they had. One by one, my fingers started to move, slowly creating the melody that would soon fill my house…and it was just _perfect._ I was in my own little world and everything that was bothering or irritating me before was now gone. All of my troubles had vanished, just like that. It's a feeling that some people feel by listening to a particular song, or perhaps they truly love; but for me, it was simply playing music. Although I didn't consider it something that I would take seriously (profession-wise), I'd like to think that I wasn't half bad. I never really _loved _the piano; I just play it at times to unwind. It's kind of like therapy, in a way. When even Renji can't cheer me up, I play a melody to calm my nerves. Now, I'm not saying I'm an anti-social freak with behavioral problems and can't get along with people. Hell no. I just highly dislike how ignorant and judgmental society is today. You go take a walk in the park or around the block and I bet all of my money that you will find at _least _one person giving an innocent human being a nasty scowl just because of their race, or their appearance, or some other stupid shit like that. It just irks me to no end. So, that's my main reason for disliking people. But I'll quit my ranting and continue on with the story.

My fingers were starting to get tired from playing, but I was determined to finish the piece, regardless of the slight soreness I started to feel in my muscles. I just felt like if I quit now, that would totally ruin everything _and _my mood.

At the very last few notes, I started to lose consciousness and my tempo dramatically slowed, which was the only thing that alerted me of my sudden weariness, and before I knew it, I was knocked out. I don't know what the hell happened. It just felt like all of energy was suddenly drained. I couldn't explain it.

The only way that I found out I had been asleep was when I woke up and saw a small puddle of drool on one of the keys. I know. _Gross._

I had a dry, disgusting taste in my mouth which nearly made me puke.

"Well, good morning, sunshine. I didn't know you still snored in your sleep."

I jumped at the sound of the voice, and accidentally fell over the seat, getting a face plant from the floor.

"Karma. Gets ya everytime."

I lifted my face off of the ground and gave the man a cold glare, but it was useless.

"Renji, why are you here?"

"Because I was wondering why you didn't show up at my house like you said you would."

_Shit._

I got up from the floor and sat next to the man on the couch, staring down at the ground as he smoked (yes, I know we smoke a lot.) I mean, I honestly had no clue what to say. My mouth was torn between gossiping to him about the freak on the street or confronting him about what the hell happened earlier.

"So, did you hear?"

"About what?"

"Byakuya."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I tried callin' you, but it went straight to voicemail."

And that's when I started charging my phone before I went to bed every night.

"Yeah, it's dead," I said, crossing my legs and laying back in the pillows, staring at the abstract painting that hung over the man's head. "So, what's with Byakuya? Is he coming down for a visit?"

"Uh, no, it's nothing like that. It's more like, something happened to him."

"Like?"

"I don't think I should be the one telling you this," He said, scratching his the back of his head, his hair (which was not up in its usual ponytail) hung loose and hid part of his face, which made it hard for me to read his facial expression. Renji got a torn piece of paper from his pocket and wrote down a number, and then handed it to me, pointing to it.

"Call it."

I was hesitant at first, but I decided to do as the man said just so I wouldn't be even more confused. Renji placed his cell in my palm, giving me a rather urgent look as he did so. I pushed a few buttons and after a moment of two of ringing, someone finally picked up.

"St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, how can I help you?"

My mouth literally dropped. I didn't know what to say. My eyes darted to Renji for guidance, but all he said (or mouthed, in this case) was 'speaker'.

I hit the button with my thumb and then cleared my throat, trying to think of _something _to say.

"Uh, yeah, I was wondering if you can tell me if you have a certain patient named Byakuya Kuchiki."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm not allowed to give away that kind of information."

"But I'm his sister!"

"Ma'am, why don't you just visit instead?"

"Because I just found out he's in the hospital!"

"Then why are you inquiring whether or not he's here?"

"To be certain."

"...Tell me your name and I'll see if it's in his file."

"Rukia Kuchiki."

"Uh, how do you spell that?"

Renji snatched the phone and quickly spelt it out, not waiting for the woman to catch up.

"All right then, give me a minute."

I let out a sigh as I set the phone down and slouched back, landing on Renji's chest.

"I can't believe this," I groaned. "Just how many _other _secrets are you hiding from me, Renji?"

"Slow your roll there, Rukia. You're making it sound like I planned this shit on purpose. What the fuck is up with you?"

I exhaled loudly from my nostrils, closing my eyes as I rolled them, slightly elbowing Renji in the gut.

"You promised you would tell me. Everything."

"Indeed I did," He mumbled, getting another cigarette.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Spit it out."

"Ma'am?" The woman asked. I picked up the phone and set it between my ear and shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Kuchiki is sleeping right now. Do you want me to leave a message for him?"

"Uh, yeah, just tell him his sister called."

"All righty then."

"Oh, wait!"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me why he is in the hospital in the first place?"

Silence.

"I'm not qualified to answer those questions."

"I see."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

And with that, I pushed the 'End' button with the edge of my thumb, placing it back into the charger on the end of the glass table and leaned back, resting my head on Renji's shoulder.

"Renji, I'm worried."

He didn't say anything in response, but he just slung an arm over my shoulders and pulled me closer, making me feel even _more _worried. He _never _acted like this; except when I was going to be an emotional what you hear."

I honestly had no clue how to respond to that. If I say yes, I knew I would cry eventually because, hello! My brother is in the hospital for Christ's sake!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small, bright glowing light a foot above from me, but I wasn't alarmed. To be honest, I feel some pity for Renji. Even _I _would hate to tell myself a secret that I was hiding. God knows how I would react.

I squeezed his hand back in response, being careful not to give a really definite answer. He pulled away and placed his hands on his shoulders, which was starting to scare me, because it showed me just how serious he was.

"You can _not _break down. You just can't. You _have _to be like a rock," Renji mumbled as he got both of my hands together and clamped them with his own, bowing his head down, his lips lightly brushing over them.

"For me. And Byakuya."

Like a rock? _Seriously?_

"Jeez, it's not going to be easy to explain what happened."

Was it really _that _bad?"

"Today, around 3, Byakuya got robbed and assaulted by a couple of robbers today at his home and one of them shot him, so he was basically helpless and he couldn't do a damned thing. They took _everything._ Even his wallet, which had all of his credit cards and shit. But that makes me wonder how he's gonna pay for the surgery, but anyways, when I heard the news, my mouth just dropped right then and there. I didn't know what the hell to say when the hospital called my phone. I just couldn't believe it."

I stopped listening after 'shot'. What on Earth was happening? My brother, shot. The very thought made me shudder with fear. My face was emotionless, but I could feel small, lukewarm, streams slowly trickling down the sides of my face, but I made no attempt to wipe them away. I felt a thumb press down beneath my cheekbone and move to the side, but it was gentle. Even more tears started to fall, and before I knew it, I was crying a flood and a myriad of sobs escaped from my mouth. Fuck 'staying strong'. I needed a moment, dammit.

I guess Renji must have been telepathic, because he knew that that was the time that I needed a shoulder to cry on. He put his arms around me as I cried onto his chest, and we just stayed like that, for God knows how long. Seconds, minutes, hours, I don't know. All that I knew at the time was that my brother was in the hospital and I hadn't a damned a clue about it 'til my best friend told me. The thought of what Renji was hiding from me before was the farthest thing from my mind. Like, as if it was in another universe, but that didn't last for long.

Time passed and as my crying gradually stopped, I started to wade into a hynpagogic state, which, somehow, made me feel as if I was high (kind of).

"Rukia, do you want me to spend the night? Just to make sure you're all right?"

"Hmmm? Oh, sure thing, just make yourself at home," I said with my eyelids half open. Renji started snapping in front of my face to try to pull me back to reality, but I was off staring into space, escaping the world that I was in.

"You need some sleep." He said, grabbing a blanket from the nearby couch and covering me with it, but I sat up, refusing to be under slumber's spell.

"Wait, you didn't tell me about the thingy with you, and 'Strawberry', and zent and-" I yawned, not being able to finish my sentence, but that stupid asshole slowly dimmed the lights, which made me have an instant urge to go sleep. I don't know if I was tired from crying or my hectic day, but I am certain of one thing; I would get Renji to spill about the secret sooner or later.

He took a seat in the leather armchair across from the couch, his eyes on me with his crimson headphones in his ears, but he was starting to get sleepy too, by the looks of it._ This _was the Renji I knew. Irritable, simple-minded, and lethargic; yup, this was my best friend. I could go on and on prattling about my relationship with him, but I don't want to bore you.

So, I fell asleep, and then I woke up around 11:30ish, I'm not sure. I was too sleepy at the time to remember when I woke up. All I remember was that it was pitch-black outside and I kept bumping into things because all of the lights were off and I couldn't see a damned thing.

I stumbled over something (probably my own foot) and hit my head on something hard and my nose bumped into something edgy, which hurt, a _lot. _

After a moment of grumbling and complaining, I slowly got up, cautious not to fall again. But once I stood up, I saw a soft, lambent light glowering from under my bedroom door. Being careful not to be noticed, I tiptoed to it and put my ear against the door so I could listen onto whoever was mumbling inside.

"I'm guessing you heard…yeah, I was surprised too. Why would they pull a stunt like that? Well, I know, but still…dude, you're fucked up again, aren't you? Hahahah, yeah, you're right. So, how're things holding up done there? Really? You should record that shit…I told you I wasn't gonna make it tonight...don't bullshit me, Ichi. You know damn well when I can or can't make it. Fine, whatever, but you'll have to tell me more about what happened later since I have a certain midget eavesdropping on us. Alright, I'll call you later. Bye….I know you're there, Rukia."

I slowly opened the door, trying to have a stern, yet innocent look on my face, but I couldn't pull it off. I saw Renji sitting on the edge of my bed, with his cell in one hand while the other was scratching the back of his head, his almond eyes watching me with great intensity. I took a seat next to him, but I avoided meeting his gaze. There was an unusual, but relaxed silence between us, and I didn't mind one bit. What _really _bothered me was the explanation that Renji was going to give me.

"So, I'm probably guessing you wanna know what all of that was about, right?"

"Pft, nah," I said sarcastically. "Absolutely nothing suspicious about _that _interesting me at _all."_

"Well, I suppose I should start explaining."

"Yeah, that'd help," I said as I laid down on the bed and put my head on Renji's lap, staring up at him. You might think there was some kind of coquetry going on between us, but believe me, it was nothing like that.

"So, you know that job I was telling you about at lunch?"

"Uhm, yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I got an idea, but I dunno how you're gonna take it."

"We'll never know if you keep beating around the bush. Out with it, already."

"Damn, this is going to be hard to explain. Well, when the hospital called me, they told me that is Byakuya doesn't pay his bill by the end of the month, they'll kick him out."

"What? They can't do that!"

"Apparently they can. I'm gonna try to help him out some, but you need to get your ass in gear too."

"And just how am I supposed to do that, Renji? Eh? Is it gonna come flying outta my ass? Hell no! I honestly don't know what the hell you're thinkin-"

"Shut up for one minute! Damn, I can't even finish a goddamned sentence without you interrupting me," He mumbled, glaring daggers downwards at me. "It's simple," Renji said, holding up three fingers.

"Get. A. Job."

I elbowed him in the gut right after he said that. What on Earth was he thinking? 'Get a job', he says. Like he can order me around. But…on the other hand, he _does _have a point. No way can Byakuya pay off the bills now.

I _hate_ karma.

"So, what's this job you're talking about?" I murmured, staring up at the bumpy ceiling above me.

"Ah-ha, so you _are _interested."

"Duh."

"Well, I can't tell you much about it be-"

"Why not?"

"Renji scowled at me as he gave me a flick on the back of my head, which made me sit straight up, but my forehead rammed into his jaw, which made both of us wince in pain. But after a moment or two, we were fine.

"Gah, I'll probably get in the headache in the morning because of that. Anyways, I can't tell you for certain reasons, but I _can _say that you will be making a whole lotta money. Now, before you interrupt me again and ask how I know this, I'll answer it. I work there, but let me clear up a few things. Pay attention as I'm only gonna say this once and only once. First, it's a night job. Second, your job might and probably will be entirely different to mine, but we'll still be working for the same man and at the same place. Like, think of Macy's. They have makeup people, cashiers, and those fat conceited grannies who try to sell you a perfume that smells like ass. Third, what happens there, _stays _there. Fourth, and the most important one outta them all, " He said, slightly raising his voice. "Do not, and Shuhei my words when I say do not, ever, ever, make the boss angry. Got it?"

I had so many questions to ask, but I kept my mouth shut because I didn't know which one to ask first so I just looked at Renji straight in the eye and smiled, confirming that I had 'got it'.

All of the sudden, I felt a vibration and saw a bright light flashing, seeing that it was Renji's cell. He stretched back (with me still partially on him) and grabbed the phone, quietly chuckling to himself as he slid it open and read a new text message he received. My mouth was shut as I waited, but it seemed like _forever_. In case you haven't noticed, I am _very _impatient, but I just waited even more and tried to make pictures of the little bumps on the wall above me, but I got bored. I adjusted myself so that I was (kind of) sitting on Renji's lap and got a peek at the text, which surprised me a bit.

From: Strawberry

Date Received: September 23rd, 2009

Time Received: 10:57

Message:

Is that midget still there?

I snatched the phone and ran out of the room, quickly looking the number for 'Strawberry'. The sound of running steps got closer and closer, so I sped up my pave. On the phone, I heard someone pick up, which nearly gave me a heart attack.

"Oi midget, ya miss me? It sure seems like it, judging by your breathing."

I froze in my tracks the second he finished his sentence. No way could it be _him. _

My hand dropped the phone and just hung there, as I stood there, looking like a fool. Renji finally caught up with me and picked up the phone, putting it between his shoulder and ear as he glared at me.

"Sorry about that, John, _some _people can't respect other people's property!"

I rolled my eyes at him as I took a seat on the black armchair behind me, staring back at the window, seeing several lights illuminate up the heart of New York. It was beautiful. Something about it felt so…surreal. But my moment was shattered as the loud guffaws coming from Renji's mouth interrupted my thoughts, which slightly agitated me. I couldn't hear the man on the other line very well due to the heavy music and bass that was blaring from the speaker. All that I knew was that that stupid freak must've been talking shit because Renji was over there, laughing his ass off.

"Hey, John, Imma put ya on speaker and tell the little lady what you said."

_Go to hell, Renji._

"I said-"

"Whoa, dammit! That's too loud! Turn that shit down!"

The man rolled his eyes as he tapped the buttons on the side, letting out a jaded sigh along the way.

"What'sa matter? You gettin' old? Ya want me ta get cha a pair a' hearin' aids, gramma?"

Renji tried to stifle the laughter, but it was still, oh, so _very _obvious. I ignored that idiot and focused on the one on the phone, snatching it away from Renji (again).

"Listen, you little son of a bitch. I don't know what the fuck your problem is, but you have _no _right to treat me like a piece of shit. I have been through hell today and I _really _don't need you pushing my buttons. So, just go fuck that slut that was with you and leave me the fuck alone, 'kay?"

"I would, but dontcha think that'd be rude to do that over the phone? That is, unless you'd wanna join?"

I shot Renji a disgusted look as I threw his phone, and he just chuckled. What the fuck? How the bloody hell could he be laughing at a time like this? For all I know, that could have been some sex-crazed maniac (which I _strongly _believed at the time) who could have been tracking me down. Hell, it sure seemed like it. It felt like a Twilight Zone moment, no joke.

"Hey, Rukia, you still interested in that job?"

"I have no choice, remember?"

"Well, I think that you can start working tonight. John tells me the boss is in a good mood tonight."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, give me a moment to think this over," I mumbled, trying to organize my thoughts.

"I have a few questions."

"Shoot."

"Is it near my house?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of clothes do I wear?"

"Let's see what you have then."

I grabbed him by the wrist and led him to my closet, spreading the two white doors wide open. Renji paced back and forth in front of it as his eyes quickly scanned the mass of clothes that was smushed together in the tight space. He picked out some clothes and threw them on the bed. I was puzzled with a few of his selections, but I just let him do his thing. Clearly (and hopefully) he knew what he was doing.

Renji closed the doors and turned around, eyeballing the clothing that was scattered all over my bed.

"All righty then," He said, picking out a few clothes and putting them in my arms. "Put them on and we're outta here. I'll be in the car waiting, so hurry up."

With a few grumbles, I kicked him out of the room and shut the door behind him, trying to figure out just how the hell I was supposed to wear this shirt-dress-thing and I had no idea where my head was supposed to go. Once I found the (right) opening, I glanced at the mirror across from me, seeing that I didn't look half bad. The sweater had a _huge _turtleneck, but it fanned open in front. It was some kind of silky material, but minus the luster. It was stretchy, but I would have to be careful so I didn't rip it. It was a solid crimson color, kind of like lipstick. It had short sleeves and it ended right above my knees. The material was really thin and I knew for sure I'd need a jacket when heading out. I put on the solid black leggings Renji laid out and I was a bit impressed that he had a bit of a fashion sense. I got my black boots with the belts out and a black shawl to match out of the closest and turned off the lights as I got my purse, taking my new favorite cigarettes with me and tidied up the house a bit before getting my purse and stepping out. I quickly ran down the stairs, being careful not to get my heel stuck in the holes of the rusty iron stairs. Once I finally reached the ground, I saw Renji's massive Hummer parked in the alley with its headlights on and it was so bright, that I was blind for a second, but I eventually found my way in. Once I got in, I realized that Renji's eyes were watching me and after I took a seat and closed the door, I heard a wolf whistle, which made my confidence rise a bit, but at the same time, made my cheeks flush.

"Well, well, well! Someone's looking spi-cy!"

I gave him a slight nudge on his shoulder, giggling along the way. It's been a while since I last felt like that.

"Let's go, then."

"Sure thing, I just have to pick up a friend, okay?" Renji said as he started up the car and changed gears, backing up while turning around to see any traffic.

"Uh, sure," I mumbled, getting Renji's Itouch from the dock and going through the songs, picking out one of my favorites and tapped 'play'. The bass suddenly came to life and scared the hell out of me. My hand went for the dial and spun it the other way. I let out a sigh as I laid back in the seat, finally relieved that the mini-tremors were over. I just noticed then that it was snowing and it was the first of the year. That, and there was a crescent moon in the sky, almost as the same shade as the white flakes. If I was at home, I would have been lying on my couch with a hot cup of coffee with my new favorite cigarette and stare out the balcony, enjoying the view. But, unfortunately, it didn't go like that.

Renji pulled up at some apartments that weren't far from mine. He shifted to 'Neutral' and stopped the car right in a parking space. He turned off the car and put his hands behind his head, turning his head to look at me.

"I forgot to mention one thing," He said.

"What?"

"Whoever you see, like, when you're working, you pretend as if you didn't even see them there, you got that?"

Now this time, I was as lost as ever.

"Uh, sure, whatever."

"Hey, it's just for your own good. But, if you _do _happen to screw up-"

He paused.

"I'll have your back."

I didn't see it then, but Renji truly and honestly meant those words. I was just too lost at the time to understand what he meant.

"Uhm, thanks."

"No problem, just-"

He was interrupted by a knocking, which made me scream in fright. I thought it was Freddy Krueger or something. Renji turned on the headlight, seeing that it was…Shuhei?

"Hey, open up!"

I did so, seeing a shocked look on his face as he saw me.

"Rukia? What are you…doing here?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself. Renji, you mind explaining?"

The man just flashed me a grin, which made me think he was hiding, yet, _another _secret.

"Uh, so where am _I _supposed to sit?" The black-haired man asked, focusing our attention back to him again. I scooted over in my seat, leaving a huge amount of space that was more than enough for him to sit in. He had an uncertain look on his face, but he took a seat anyways and closed the door shut after him. He wore an ebony/grayish suit with light grey stripes and there was a dark crimson collared shirt underneath and on top, he wore a dark black fedora with a single, short feather tucked on its side. It was as red as blood and it was kinda eerie but somehow, I couldn't take my eyes off of it. He wore some kind of fancy cologne that smelled classy, but not too strong. It was so alluring, that I couldn't even put it in words.

I tried reaching over him for the seat belt, (I rarely _ever _ride in a car so I never buckle up) but his chest was too broad for my small arms to reach it. Shuhei got it and buckled over us, (as in reaching directly over my chest) and to my left, I saw Renji giving him the evil eye, but he quickly shrugged it off. It was kind of funny to see Renji get mad, but it made me wonder if he actually _did _have feelings for me, but I wasn't thinking that at the time. The thought of where the hell I was going was running through my mind, and the pickup of someone that I knew was making me even more paranoid. What was next? Byakuya didn't actually get shot?

Once again, Renji started up the car, but somehow, he seemed nervous. It wasn't like him to wear a frown, which began to make me worry. I nudged him on the arm and was greeted with a confused, but solemn look in his eyes and…I just smiled. It was if I had a split persona. You know what I think happened? I think that I cast my selfishness aside and thought of Renji dealing with all of the drama and I stopped for a moment and began to think if I was in _his _shoes. I knew I would break down like _that. _I suppose that in the end, I was worried about him and I wanted to make sure if he was okay.

"Well, shall we get going then?" Renji asked with a grin.

I nodded in response with a slight smile plastered on my face (a bit happy that we were _finally _leaving) and stared at the roads in front. The first few I was familiar with, but once Renji made a couple of turns, I had no clue where we were.

Being bored to death, I grabbed the Itouch and started to mess around with it, seeing what kind of apps Renji had. I could feel Shuhei looking over my shoulder, (and I guessed that he was) a bit curious as well. I scrolled to the next page and saw a shitload of stupid and idiotic apps, most of them having something to do with nude women or some pointless game that had no end.

Something firm and sturdy gripped my shoulder, when I realized it was Shuhei's hand holding onto me for support as he reached for the stick of gum that was in the pit in the middle of me and Renji, but when he did, his hand accidentally (I don't know even to this day if he did this on purpose) brushed against my inner thigh and his face was red as tomatoes. He quickly reached for the gum, ripped off its wrapper, and popped it into his mouth all in one move. I felt a bit of pity for him, but I wasn't convinced that he was _entirely _honest because 1, I _did _see him flirting a lot while working and 2, I didn't know him that well. I kinda suspected that Shuhei was faking that whole 'innocent' shit because of the look Renji gave him earlier, but I shrugged it off. Either way, I was too distracted with trying to find an interesting app.

All of the sudden, a new song started playing and instantly, it drew me in. It began with a soft male voice vocalizing for the first couple of seconds and then the bass and main beat came in, making the hairs of my arms stand up. I couldn't help but sway to the beat, the voice was so alluring that I began to sing with the chorus without even noticing it but I _did _notice two heads turning in my direction, and the car swerved, nearly hitting the car in the nearby lane.

"RENJI! Keep your eyes on the damn road!" I screeched. That whole incident just completely ruined my mood and probably made Shuhei think I was a psychopathic maniac. We were all quiet then, and there were only the sounds of the engine and the music playing filling up the empty silence. The chorus came on again and magically, it made my worries vanish.

'_Is you say Daddy's home, home for me  
And I know you've been waiting for this love in your day  
You know your daddy's home,_

_It's time to play,_

_So you ain't got to give my loving away_

_So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy  
Hey hey hey daddy  
So all my ladies say hey hey hey daddy  
Hey hey hey daddy'_

"He's right," Shuhei muttered.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.

"If you listen to the song, you'll see what I mean."

I did for about a minute or so, but I _still _didn't get it. I pulled on Shuhei's sleeve and shrugged at him, getting an eye roll in response.

"Basically, the singer is giving you some advice. You can get almost _any _guy's attention if you go up to them and be like, 'Hey Daddy'. Try it on Renji."

"Pft, yeah right. Like that shit's gonna work on me. I'm 'keeping my eyes on the damn road'," He mimicked in a voice that _so _did not sound like me. So, I decided to get my revenge.

I leaned over the armrest in the middle and lightly put my hands on Renji's spare arm (Yes, he only drove with one hand) and I successfully got his attention. I leaned in closer as he stopped a red light, his eyes staring me down. I said the magic words and he took back his hand that mine were on and covered his entire mouth with it, making it hard for me to tell whether he was upset or just plain shocked. I just stared at him, but he didn't look at me. His eyes were on the road, like he said. Something bumped into my elbow and I turned back to where I was, seeing Shuhei hold out his blue slider phone. There was something typed on the screen.

_Don't worry, he's fine. Chances are he's probably a bit hot from hearing you say that so he's keeping it bottled up._

I took the phone and deleted the text and typed in my response.

Is it because of the dress? Bc he picked that out. And, I have a question.

_Maybe. You do look good tonight. And sure._

Thank you:) Uhm, just where the hell are we going?

Shuhei's jaw dropped the instant he read it and as soon as he was about to reply, Renji's hand snatched the phone and slammed it shut and then stuck it in his coat pocket and continued driving, without even looking at us. It was as if I was caught texting by the teacher.

"I'd appreciate it if you would address the issue rather then telling your 'best buddy' about it."

"Well, it's not her fault you were acting weird."

Renji cocked his head at Shuhei as he stopped at a red light.

"You're right…it's _your _fault."

Ooh shit.

"Renji, you need to chill the fuck out."

"Fuck off, Shuhei."

Boo, I actually wanted some shit to happen. Is that so wrong?

Renji drove into a building chocked full of parked cars and just its shadow was at _least _a mile long. The car made its way into the building, but the gate was open and there was nobody at the checkpoint. I glanced at the clock and read 12:30. I mean, I knew it was late, but come on. They could have at least closed the gate. The car went in and made its way through the vacant parking lots, but as we went up (and I dunno why we did), more and more cars started to appear. I was so lost. When we reached the very top floor, I saw an elevator across from us. There was rust on the edges and it looked broken. Renji turned off the car and got out, not even waiting for me and Shuhei to unbuckle. A few expletives escaped from my mouth as I tried to undo the seat, but it wasn't cooperating with me.

"Stupid ass belt…"

"Need some help?" Shuhei asked, putting his hand over mine and pushed down on it, successfully loosening the buckle.

"Thanks," I muttered, gently shaking off his hand (which stayed a little longer than it should have) and climbed over his knees and got out of the car, catching up with Renji along the way, I hooked my arm with his and leaned on his side as we waited for the elevator to come down.

"I'm sorry," Renji muttered, his eyes still avoiding me.

"For what?" I asked, clinging onto him even tighter this time as he rickety sound of the elevator came closer, which was starting to scare me.

"For being an ass. I know you didn't mean to do anything like that on purpose, but I took it the wrong way and-"

"How did you see it then?

He was quiet for a moment and right as he opened his mouth, Shuhei swung his arms around the both of us and I could see a look of relief on Renji's face.

"You think they will let her in?"

"Doubt it, but Strawberry might be able to fix that."

"I'm right here," I said monotonously. Shuhei just grinned and ruffled my hair with his hand, as if I was a little kid or something. I mean, I know I'm short, but come on!

"I honestly have a good feeling about this," Renji grinned. I knew too well that _that _was not a genuine smile and that he was just trying to not make me worry, which made me do the exact opposite. To tell you the truth, I was trying so hard that night not to let them see I was shaking. I mean, hell, wouldn't you be too? I was 'applying' for a job I had no clue about and it was all to get money for my brother who was in surgery, but here I am, at the very top floor of a parking lot building, waiting on an elevator that has been broken for God knows how long, and I was on the verge of breaking down right then and there, but I had enough self-control not to.

The elevator finally came (surely, but slowly), and opened up its rusty metal doors, revealing small, cramped space inside. The two men walked right in, but I, on the other hand, refused to move. Renji groaned and pulled me in, (it's not like I could resist; he is twice my size) and then pushed the '5' on the column of buttons. My eyes were on the cracked screen above as the doors closed and as the shaft slowly started to descend. 10, then 9, then 8, and so on; but when it was right to go to 5, Renji slammed the emergency button and the elevator jerked up, making me lose my balance and fall towards Renji, but he caught me by the shoulders. Surprisingly, there wasn't an ear-splitting siren going off, which made this place even creepier.

All of the sudden, Shuhei went up to the buttons and got out a Swiss Army knife and started loosening the screws on the metal cover. He pried it open, and inside was a bunch of wires and a parade of small blinking lights. To the side were two small pieces of plastic with a small gap in between them. The man then got something out of his pocket and it was some kind of card. It looked like any other card, but it didn't look like it was for financial purposes.

He slid the card in and somehow, the elevator slowly went up, _much _smoother than the first go-around. It opened up, showing another elevator across from us. One thing was different about it though; there was a square keypad on its side with numbers 0-9 with some symbols at the bottom row. Shuhei went up and quickly punched in some numbers, making a green light in the screen glow, and was followed by the doors opening, but it was _much _faster than the other elevator's. Too fast. Either way, it just _screamed _suspicious.

Renji grabbed me by the hand and squeezed it, giving me a grin along the way. I didn't see how he could be smiling at a time like this. I just didn't get it. No sheer happiness could have been derived from nothing. Was he faking it? Was it possible that he was just as confused as me? I don't know, even to this day. I honestly don't.

We walked in and as I took my first steps, the doors whizzed shut, leaving the three of us in complete darkness.

"Lozinka?" A male voice asked, but he sounded so serious, it was scary.

"Držite ga tajna," Shuhei said, which (somehow) made the lights turn on, showing two armed men aiming at us less than ten feet away. I shrieked and hid behind Renji, who was trying to cover up his laughter, but he failed.

"Very well, you may pass," The guard on the left said as he moved out of the way, revealing, yet, _another _door. I continued to eye them as we walked, not understanding why they were so dressed up. I mean, any _normal _person would be flipping out too if they had an AK cocked at them.

One man was black and one was white, but they both wore that emotionless look on their face. They wore matching indigo suits with a thin crimson tie tucked in between and on top of that, they had black shades on that was so dark, you couldn't see their eyes.

Renji and Shuhei walked by them with me at the very end, who was hesitant and frightened to go _anywhere._

In the midst of my confusion, I felt a cold hand pull me, which made me run into something sturdy, but warm. I had my eyes closed the entire time, so I didn't know _what _the hell was going on.

"Hey Rukia. We're here."

I looked up, seeing Renji next to me and found myself in an ornate and spacious lobby, like the kind that you would find in a hotel. There were people dressed like bellhops too! With the cap and everything! I felt like I was in a dream. I didn't know how the hell I started in a parking lot and somehow made my way into a fancy room.

There was a lobby desk and sitting near it was a blonde-haired girl with her hair neatly pulled back into a tight bun and she wore a red long-sleeved shirt with gold buttons on the side with black pants below. She got up and made her way towards us, shaking our hands.

"Welcome Mr. Owens, Mr. Phillips."

And then she looked at me.

"And you are…?"

"Ms. Kuchiki."

"Have you been to _The Rendezvous_ before?"

"No ma'am."

"I see. Well, enjoy yourself then."

And just like that, she was gone. Shuhei scowled at her as she left and entered the doors on the right, with me and Renji close behind. The minute I stepped in, all the music and noise just went silent. Like, as if somebody dropped a bomb or something. All eyes were on me, and not in the good way. I felt like such an outsider, it wasn't even funny. Everybody, and I mean _everybody, _just stopped what they were doing. In the crowd (mostly men), I could see people all dressed up in dresses and suits, as if they were in a mafia. Some of them even wore hats and some even had feathers on it. Like, blue, green, purple, all of those bold colors. But no one looked the same.

Suddenly, the crowd slowly started to move and split in two, making way for a person with a grey fedora and a sky blue feather on the side (that was all I could see at the time). And as the people started to make way for the person, I carefully examined the place around me.

To my right, there was a deserted bar, but the shelves were stocked full of tequila and brandy bottles. On the left, there was a poker table and behind it, was a glass door that had roulettes, slot machines, and more. And in the very back was a stage, but not one for plays. Oh _hell _no. This stage was set rather high and it had two sets of metallic stairs on the ends with no rails and right under the stage were three rectangular jail chambers and the women dancing in it sure didn't appreciate me coming, judging by the looks on their faces.

"So who the hell are you?"

I jumped and closed my eyes, holding up my arms to shield my face, but they were stopped by a firm hand. I opened my eyes and saw a man with short dark brown hair towering over me, and his nonchalant stare really didn't help much. He had emerald eyes and a couple of his bangs hung in front of his forehead, giving him that 'edge'. I noticed that he had his ears pierced with two giant diamonds on there.

"Well, are you going to answer my question or not?"

Renji got next to me and placed an arm around me, grinning at the man.

"Chill, Blueberry. Don't you think you should introduce yourself first?"

The man gave Renji a mock smile, and then looked back at me. He took off his hat and placed it over his chest, bowing deeply.

"I am Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. And you?

"Ms. Kuchiki."

"Pleasure to meet you," He said, grabbing me hand and lightly pecking it. "You can call me Grimmjow, for short."

"And you can call me Rukia."

A grin came on his lips at the sound of my name, which seemed a bit creepy. That and over 60 pairs of eyes were on me, but people slowly started to disperse, slowly going to whatever the heck they were doing.

"So, what you brings you to _The Rendezvous_?"

I remember the lobby lady saying something about it, but I thought she was talking about some kind of night club or something. But then it just hit me. This _is _a club!

"Uhm, no, but just to be on the safe side, where is it?"

"You mean, you have no idea where you are right now?"

"Last time I checked, I was somewhere in New York City, but _somebody_ refused to explain certain things to me. So, long story short, I'm lost as hell."

The man just chuckled and walked to the deserted bar, motioning to me to come over there with him. I looked back at Renji for guidance, but he disappeared, as did Shuhei.

"So, what's with you and Pineapple?" Grimmjow asked, taking a seat in a chair with me sitting next to him and facing his direction.

"Who?"

"Renji."

"Oh. We're close friends. But why do you call him Pineapple?"

"It's kinda like a codename, in a way. But now it's my turn to ask a question. How the hell did you stumble all the way down here?"

And so I told him everything there was to tell. About me, about what happened, and about that weird 'incident' that happened on the streets. Surprisingly, he believed me. He listened to me the whole time while I was blabbing away. I had never opened up to someone so fast. It was so odd. Despite the man's intimidating appearance, he was quite the gentleman.

"Well, that was quite a story," Grimmjow chuckled, wiping off some lint on his knees. "So, what are you gonna work as?"

"That's the problem. Renji didn't tell me _shit._"

"Uhm, why don't you join those ladies up there?" He asked, pointing to the stage. I leaned over to the side and saw several strippers 'working'. I gave him a discouraging look, since there were no words to describe what I thought of that.

"Heh, I guess not. Well, you don't look like the type to go into the gambling business either."

"…Can I ask a question?"

"Depends."

"This whole place…is illegal, isn't it?"

"…Yes, but I'm pretty sure Renji has at least told you the consequences, right?"

"No, but I wasn't planning on it. My best friend is in this mess there's no way in hell I would betray him."

"You like Pineapple?"

"Ew no! He's like my brother!"

He just chuckled as he called for a bartender, but no one came. He called again. Nothing. His lips slightly curled into a scowl and then he banged the wood with his fist.

"Goddamit! Where's the mo'fuckin' tender?"

And I thought that _my _flip-out moments were something. Heh, not compared to this guy.

"He got shot, remember?" A person shouted.

Grimmjow gave a slight eyeroll as he let out a sigh, seeming a bit irritated.

"How the fuck can there be a bar and no bartender? What the holy fuck is going on? This doesn't make any goddamn sense…"

And he kept on ranting and he threw in some French (which I knew because I took it in high school) expletives in there. I really didn't want my night to be filled with angst and cursing, so I went behind the bar and decided to make the damned drink myself. I got a glass and scanned the shelves and got some Malibu rum along with **Tequila Rose strawberry liqueur and some **Blue Curacao and last, but not least, some of the Sweet 'n' Sour that had been stored from previous use (it isn't an actual drink, more like a flavor booster). I was careful to add the liqueur last, since I had a thing for sweet stuff being at the very top. However, I still felt like something was missing. I turned around and searched again, but I couldn't think of anything that would 'fit'. I crouched down and open the mini-fridge beneath the bar, seeing my 'extra ingredient'. I popped open the Sprite and added just a splash in the very middle of the drink and then stopped it, putting the can down and passed the glass to Grimmjow, who didn't look all that happy. He grabbed it and held it in the air for a second, carefully examining the contents of the drink (which I think was a bit _too _much). I mean, seriously. That guy looked at it as if it was poison or something.

"What's it called?"

"I dunno. I just made it up."

"Hmm," He said, taking a whiff. "Well, it smells fine."

"Just drink the damn thing."

"Hey, don't rush me. It'll spoil my mood," He said, shooting me a glare that only lasted a second and then took a sip, and then put the glass down. I waited for _some _kind of response, but he said nothing and just sat there, staring back at me.

"I'm not gonna lie…this is one of the best drinks I've ever had."

"Really?" I asked with enthusiasm, getting a nod in response from the man as he took another sip.

If anything, that kind of made my day better.

"Hey, I got an idea," Grimmjow said with a toothy grin.

"Hmm?"

"What if _you _became the bartender?"

I shot him a look, but he countered it with a glare that made me intimidated of him once more.

"Are you shitting me?"

"Hell no. We _need _a connoisseur of drinks. I guarantee you can make your money in no time."

"I know, but still, I need to talk to whoever is in charge of this place."

"Well, I'll go see if he's here today. Hey, do me a favor and think of a name for that shit. I bet money that people will be asking for it."

I giggled a bit and nodded, seeing the man get up and walk off, slowly making his way to the door behind the poker table. I let out a sigh once he left. I was all alone, once again. I had no idea where Renji and Shuhei were and to be honest, I didn't care.

I stared off into the crowd, seeing all kinds of people here. I noticed that the men weren't the only ones wearing feathers. There were some females who wore it as well. Many questions popped into my head at the thought of the odd and unusual feathers, but I thought I'd save that for when I meet with 'the boss'. I wondered what he/she was like. Judging from what I'd heard, they sounded pretty ominous and temperamental, which then made me have second thoughts about meeting them.

"Yo, midget! Snap out of it!"

My trance was broken the instant that voice passed through my ears. I had no idea _what _the hell I was doing before, but all I could manage to comprehend was that _he _was there. He was dressed in the same attire as the people, but he seemed classier. He wore an ebony suit with gold buttons and on top was a black fedora, very much like Grimmjow's, but this one was more rounded and it had a single, short golden feather rather than a long blue one. He took a seat right across from me and took off his hat, revealing his spiky blonde mane. His chocolate eyes were on me as I got a glass and cleaned it with a cloth, trying to find _some _distraction to keep me from staring at him.

"Yes, can I help you, asshole?"

"Glad to know ya love me, dollface. I thought ya'd never show up. And what's this? Yer the new bartender now? Holy shit, it's like Christmas all over again!"

"Shut up, you idiot. And no, I'm not the bartender. I was just messing around with the drinks and stuff. But to be honest, I kinda _do _want to be the bartender."

"Why's that?"

"Well, for one, its kinda fun and two, Renji was telling me how people can make a lot of money here so I really have no choice seeing as how I dislike people."

"There's two things wrong with yer statement. Numero uno, we don't go by names here 'less you want people to find out who ya are. Numero dos, if you dislike people, then why are ya here? This is probably one of _the _most crowded places in New York. Wait…I know…ya missed me! Ya wanted more of me than just a peck from this afternoon am I right? Or am I right?"

"You are wrong, that's what you are. And I really didn't have a choice in coming here. I mean, before, Pineapple was just telling me about this job and something came up where I need the money and it's just really, _really _confusing. You wouldn't get it."

"No, go 'head. Talk. I promise I won't fall asleep."

"To sum things up, I was unemployed before and I really didn't go out much, except on certain occasions. And one day, Renji was telling me about this job with a lot of money but he didn't say _what _it was. So, he takes me here with our mutual friend, Shuhei-"

"The Joker."

"Okay, so he brings _The Joker_ and they just take me to this parking lot and we went on this elevator and then he hit the button and it went _whoosh! _and there was this keypad thingy and then there were two scary guys who talked in some weird language and Joker talked back to them in it and we walked to this lobby and then I walked here and talked to Blueberry and here I am, talking to you-"

"Strawberry."

"Right, and that's pretty much it."

"…I dunno what the hell you said because I was watching the ladies but I'll pay attention next time, promise."

I gave him a scowl and that moment, I had an epic idea. I started making the drink again, one for me and one for the horn dog across from me and I guess the clinking and clanking must have got his attention because when I looked up, his hazel eyes were watching me closely.

"Go on."

And so I did. I slid one drink to him while I poured the last of the Sprite into mine, seeing out of the corner of my eye that he was just staring at the drink. When I was done, he looked up at me and raised his drink, and I tapped it with my own.

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

And so we drank it down, but I was careful to drink slowly and not all at once, because if I did, I'd have a major headache.

"Mmm! That shit was good! What'd ya put in it?"

"That's top-secret."

"Awh, come on! Ya know ya can tell me!"

"Nope."

"What if we have a deal?" He asked with a sly grin on his face.

"Like?"

"I'll give ya another kiss if ya tell me the recipe."

"You're so childish," I groaned.

"Quit tryin' to hide it! I saw yer reaction when I kissed ya! You made such a big deal outta it, I know it!"

"You're the one who's making a big deal out of it," I said nonchalantly.

"Yer no fun. I was actually lookin' forward ta givin' ya 'nother peck or two."

God, this guy would _not _shut up. But I had a solution for that. I leaned over and kissed him on the lips, finally shutting him up. I could still taste a bit of the drink on his lips, and lemme tell you,

_It was good._

I stayed a little longer than I should have, but I kinda didn't want to go, but I didn't want to seem sluttish for kissing someone I barely knew. So, I pulled back, seeing a face that was as unyielding as a rock. I couldn't tell if he was seriously pissed off or he didn't know what to say.

"I never pictured ya as the 'bold' type."

"Well, you have your answer."

"Damn straight. Tell ya what, I'll guarantee ya a job here. No doubt about it."

"What, just because I kissed you? Thanks, but no thanks. That seems kinda sluttish, no?"

"Yes, it does, but hun, I've kissed countless women."

Man-whore.

"And your point is?"

"Almost _any _girl can kiss, but no one can make drinks like you can. So, I'd say you pretty much got the job," He said, getting off the chair and starting to walk away.

"Wait!"

He stopped, turning his head in my direction.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me, I know. But I do need you to do one thing for me though."

"And what's that?"

"Think of a name for that drink."

"I already thought of one."

"Well, what is it?

"Strawberry Poison."


	2. BooBoo's, Eggs, & Secrets

Author's Note: If there are any errors, please let me know. Well, it took forever but here it is! Not nearly as long as the first one (thank God) and I hope you like it. Enjoy:)

* * *

Damn, where do I begin? Last night…was a total blur. I don't know when or even how I got out of that place. All that I knew at the moment was that somehow, someway, I found myself alone in Renji's giant-ass bad and no, I wasn't sleeping with him, you pervert.

I looked at the alarm clock that was sitting on the oak night stand next to me and saw '9:23'. I groaned and then rolled back into the fluffy giant mattress, not wanting to leave the comfy bed, but I couldn't go back to sleep now that I was half-awake. It was then that I just realized that I wasn't in the clothes I was wearing from last night. That, plus I _still _didn't know what the hell was going on.

In the midst of my confusion, I heard the sound of a dish breaking, which was followed the yelling of a _really _upset Renji. By then, I was fully awake and I was curious to see just what that idiot was flipping out about.

I walk into the kitchen and see Shuhei on the floor, cleaning the remains of one of Renji's good plates while that redhead was scolding him as he was making breakfast with his back turned towards him.

"Add a bit of salt to my eggs, will you?" Shuhei said as he got the pieces together and threw them into the metallic trashcan at the side.

"No, you can put your own damn salt in your own damn eggs. These are _my _eggs," Renji growled.

"So, I'm guessing I'm going to have to get my own breakfast?" I ask, surprising both of the men.

"I thought you'd sleep in and wake up around lunch time," Renji said as he cracked open an egg over the frying pan.

"Oh, she gets eggs but I don't?" The black-haired man scowled.

"Yes, because _she _didn't break my plates!"

"Chill out. It's just plates," Shuehi burbled as he took a seat to the dining table. The man motioned me to sit across from him, so I did. He scratched his head as he stares directly at me, which was a bit unnerving.

"So, did you enjoy yourself last night?"

"More or less. As being as confused as I am, it was pretty fun for a night out."

"Good. So, are ya coming back?"

"Dunno. Like I said, I'm confused as hell."

"Well, the boss has been boastin' about how good of a bartender she was, even if it was only for an hour or so."

"Okay, that's nice and all," I said, interrupting them, "But how in the bloody hell did I get here?"

"Simple," Shuhei butted in. "You got drugged, raped, and robbed, the classic combo. And we just so happened to find you wearing a grocery bag on the side of the road, singing 'No Woman, No Cry'.

My jaw dropped open, but it quickly closed back up once I heard the stifled chuckles of the dark-haired man. I can't believe I'd ever believe such bullshit, but then again, I was hungry as hell and I can't think straight on an empty stomach. I saw Renji making a shushing motion with one hand while the other held a wooden ladle. He snuck up behind Shuhei and swung it down, hitting him right on the top of his head and in return, got a nasty scowl.

"The fuck did _I _do?" He growled, glaring at the redhead with those cold cobalt eyes of his.

"Break three of my plates, that's whatcha did," he mumbled as he made his way back into the kitchen.

"Hey, I apologized, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did, but words are nothing. Tell you what," Renji said as he scooped up the eggs from the pan and onto a dish and then cut it in half with his fork, "What if we have ourselves a little 'wager'?"

"I'm listening," Shuhei grinned.

"It's simple. You win, I'll forget all about this little 'incident'. But, if you lose, you will have to pay back every dime," The redhead smirked as he brought the dish over to me and sat next to me, urging me to eat at least half of the eggs.

"But, uh, just how much are the dishes?" I asked out of curiosity, which made Renji break out a grin that made him look like a deranged psychopath.

"Well, if you _must _know," He said, chuckling to himself, "$250. Each."

Shuhei shot up out of his seat and slammed his hands onto the table, glaring at the man across from him.

"Bullshit!" He yelled, "I've heard some stupid shit from your mouth before, but this is just plain ridiculous. You actually expect me to believe that? Hell no."

"So, will you pay with cash or check?"

"The hell…? Did you not hear what the fuck I just said?"

"I heard you loud and clear, but get real. When was the last time _you _ever won a bet against me?"

The black-haired didn't say anything as Renji picked up a piece of his eggs and ate it, then pointing the fork to Shuhei.

"Exactly."

"Wait! There was that time last year, for Bear's birthday? Remember? We bet $100 on how much he could drink and in the end, he drank your two bottles of Southern Comfort whiskey and chardonnay?"

"Nope," Renji muttered as he shook some pepper onto his portion of the eggs, ignoring the man the entire way, "But I do remember that you're a hopeless and pathetic liar."

"Says the one who _supposedly _has dishes over $100."

"Which you broke."

"Now hold up a goddamned second! I-"

"What's the bet anyway?" I ask right before Shuhei blew a fuse, "Who knows? You just might win, Shuhei."

"…That's a good point Rukia. Just what _is _the bet anyway?"

"Hold on, I have to think about it for a minute. But in the meantime," He said as he chewed, pointing to my food and looked at me intently with those emerald eyes of his, "Eat."

And so I did. While the two debated on the terms and issues of their gamble, I stared off into the window that was at my side, overlooking the slow street of Vermilyea Avenue. It wasn't as packed as my street, but still busy nonetheless. However, it was more serene (in a way) in comparison. There were _fewer_ cars, but more people out and about. Some were walking on the sidewalk, while some were several stories high, sipping their morning coffee on their balcony. The sight made me miss my home, even though it hasn't been more than 24 hours since I left my cozy abode. But then, I started thinking.

Why couldn't I remember what happened last night? Was what Shuhei said really true? At first, I thought I may have drunk too much, but that wasn't possible. I _always _have a massive migraine that day after if I drank a lot. So, alcohol was off the list. Then, there was the idea of drugs. Dude, you have no fucking idea how scared I suddenly got. Like, I got goosebumps the instant I thought of it. But I know for sure I didn't take any pills because I absolutely refuse to take them, under the influence or not. But my self-investigation was broken by the sudden 'That's perfect!' from Shuhei and it startled me so bad that I jumped in my seat.

"Easy there, Rukia. You okay?" Renji asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I just…"

"You just?"

"I was just thinking about some things. But don't worry, it's nothing major," I assured him, putting my hand on his shoulder to make my smiling façade somewhat convincing.

"You're a bad liar too, you know that?" He said as he took the last bite of his eggs, "But whatever. If you don't wanna tell me, I understand."

"You tell me your secret, I'll tell you mine," I muttered.

"She's got you there," Shuhei chuckled.

"What?" I growled, glaring at him, then at Renji, "You told _him _but not me?"

"Whoever said _he _told me?"

I turn to look at Shuhei, who had a look on his face that pissed me off so bad, I just wanted to slap him.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

And that instant, Renji gave him the look from hell, but then he quickly changed it as he changed his view to me.

"He means that someone else told him and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a sec there. You mean to tell me that someone _else _knows about this? Ha, figures. Ever since all of this weird shit started happening, it's like I don't even know you anymore. I'm so fucking confused and I don't know what to do. I honestly don't," I said as I got up out of my seat and started to make my way for the door, but a hand pulled me back.

"Rukia, don't."

I turn back and raise my eyebrows at the redhead, confused by what he wanted.

"Sit down."

I hesitated for a moment, but I slowly did as he said, but I was still glaring at him the entire way.

"I dunno what you want me to say. Yes, I've been hiding a secret. Doesn't everyone?"

To his left I saw Shuhei nod in agreement. To be honest, I didn't know what to say either. I was brain-dead and at a loss for words. True, I could've just asked what it was, but something in my gut told me that it'd be better for me to wait and find out for myself. However, I didn't want to risk the chance of hearing 'bad news', Although most people may think I have a cold, impenetrable heart, I am actually very sensitive about these kind of things, especially when it involves those close to me. I was happy as a clam and then all of a sudden, 'boom'. 'Your brother got shot'. If that's not fucked up, then I don't know what is.

"Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you," Renji snapped.

Damn my thoughts for always making me look like a dumbass.

"And uhm, who do you think you are telling me what to do?"

"Your best friend."

"Best friends don't tell each other lies."

"I was just trying to protect you from-"

"'Protect'? From what?"

"From getting your stupid ass self in trouble," Shuhei muttered as he dug for his cigarettes, but I ignored his little comment.

"In a way, he's right."

I raise my eyebrows in question at Renji at the remark.

"I'm not saying that you're that naïve that you would get into a lot of shit, but it was precautionary. I wasn't sure how'd you react about the place and everything. But even though you're my best friend," The redhead said, locking his deep brown eyes with mine, "I expect you to keep your trap shut."

"Have I ever told one of your secrets before?"

"No…"

"So what makes you think I'll tell now?"

"I…dunno."

And with a 'mhmm', I ate the rest of my breakfast and took it to the sink, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shuhei get up and make his way towards me. I glanced at the reflection at the sink to see if I looked somewhat decent, but it was too filthy to see. So, when he finally came along (I was washing the dishes at this point), I had just finished cleaning the last dish, but he just booty-bumped me to the side and took over.

"You ain't a maid," Shuhei said, not even glancing at me, "So don't act like it."

"It's common courtesy, something you clearly seem to be lacking. Besides, when was the last time Renji cleaned up after himself?"

"I'm right here," The redhead mumbled as he chewed his last bite. The man next to me rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh before he put the dish in the other sink and turn off the faucet, finally meeting me eye-to-eye (which was a bit intimidating, to tell you the truth).

"You talk too much. If you enjoy cleaning, then by all means, clean 'til your arms fall off. I'm just trying to help you out after all of this shit you're going through."

I scoffed as I walk past him and to the bedroom, when all of the sudden, I just remembered that I was still in pajamas, unlike the other two, who I just noticed were all dressed and looked as if they were going somewhere.

"Hey, Renji?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened to my purse and clothes from last night?"

"We sold them for weed," Shuhei said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if _you _did," Renji mumbled, then changing his view to me, "Check in the closet, but…come back here for a second."

"Huh? Why?"

"Don't ask, just do it," He said as he walked over to me and started to drag me behind him. I didn't know what was going through his mind, but I know it must've been something important. Otherwise, he would've left me alone.

"I finally figured out what the bet should be," He said as he smiled deviously, which could only mean one thing—he was up to something.

"Well, spit it out," I said.

"Well, I think you need to sit down," He gestured towards the couches. I planted my bottom into the leathery cushion of the sofa against the wall. Renji took the seat next to me and Shuhei sat in the green velvety chair across from us.

"Kay. I bet that by the end of the week," The redhead said, looking down at me, "Rukia will have a boyfriend."

"WHAT?!" I screech.

"I will gladly take that bet," Shuhei smirked as he shook hands with the other man, sealing the deal, "And in addition, let's add a $50, shall we?"

"Well, damn, Shuhei. You make her sound as ugly as hell."

"She's attractive and all, but with an attitude like hers, there's just no way."

"Hey!" I said.

"Sorry, hun, but looks aren't going to get you far. Now, I feel now's the time to go over a few 'conditions'."

"Don't _I _get a say in this?" I ask, getting sly smirks from both men in response.

"'Course you do," Renji said as he slung his arm over my back, "You'll get a…reward_._"

"What kind of _reward_?"

"Correction, rewards," He said, emphasizing the last letter, "One, you'll have a boyfriend, which will boost your overall mood. Two, you won't be as lonely and three, I'll get my plates back," He said, grinning.

"So, about those conditions—" Shuhei started, but I didn't let him finish.

"_I'll _make the 'conditions' here, thank you very much," I growled.

"Go on," Renji said as he got out his box of Marlboro 100's.

"Well, for starters, neither of you can set me up with anybody."

"Okay…" They both murmured.

"And he can't know about this."

"That's all?"

"Pretty much. You two wanna add anything?"

"Hmmm…to make things interesting," Shuhei said, "You need to be an actual relationship with the guy. Pick a number."

"Uh, seven?"

"For seven days."

"And if she breaks up with the guy before then, then she has 3 ½ days to find another one. Otherwise, you win," Renji said nonchalantly.

"Fine with me," Shuhei grinned with his cigarette between his teeth. I just sat there, watching the two of them light up another cigarette as their smoke soon fogged up the room, but I didn't mind. In fact, it was quite normal whenever Renji came over. But for some strange reason, I didn't smoke. I had no urge to. It was like someone trying to offer me cake right after I ate the entire buffet at Golden Corral. And this was probably one of those moments when I could've used it the most.

"So, let me get this straight," Shuhei mumbled as he bent his cigarette into the clean porcelain ashtray, "You have to find a gent and stay with him for a week so Renji can win, correct?"

"Mhmm."

"Easiest bet ever," He chuckled.

"Is not!" I stood up, glaring daggers downwards at him, "Do you know how hard it is for me to do something like this?" I whined.

"C'mon! This is easy! Tell you what; just so this whole situation is over and done with, you'll have a time limit. If you can't find a guy within a week, then the whole thing is off, and you don't have to worry about a thing."

"Hold up now-"

"Deal!" I grinned, grabbing his hand with both of mine and shaking it. I could see Renji's bewildered face from the side, but I didn't give a shit. I just wanted this whole 'bet' business over and done with. That, and I'd hate to see Shuhei get fooled into the whole plate scam.

"I don't think you should rush things, Rukia."

"Oh, please. You sound as if you _really _want me to find a boyfriend," I scoffed, snatching a biscuit from the glass bowl that was on the table.

"Well…" He said, scratching the back of his head.

"'Well' what? Spit it out."

"You seem depressed. I don't know what happened, but you seem really sad now."

"Yeah, I see whatcha mean," Shuhei murmured, "I can even start to see bags forming under her eyes."

"Shut up, Shuhei," I growled, "And what do you mean 'depressed'? I've been happy as ever."

"You are and still will be a horrible liar. I've known you for 18 years and you think I can't tell when you're lying? Ha, you're funny, Rukia," Renji sighed as he stomped his cigarette to death and then got up and made his way towards the bedroom. I don't know why, but I felt as if I made him somewhat upset. I soon followed and saw that he was in the room that I slept in, with my phone in his hand.

"Your phone is finished charging," He said, holding it up, "Oh, and you have a new text."

"From who?" I asked as I made my way towards him, but he turned the opposite way, "Gimme it!" I yelled.

"Nu-uh. I wanna snoop through your inbox and see if you have that 'special someone' already!"

"You're dumb. You know that I'm not a 'people person'."

"True, but you never know. Especially you. For all I know, you could be some assassin ninja or something."

"And you could be a sleazy gambler that wastes his money every night."

His face gradually changed into a slight frown, which made guilt hit me like a train. I felt horrible after saying that, but I didn't know why it affected him so much.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," I murmured as I took a seat at the edge of the bed. He sat down next to me, but he avoided my glances. Then, all of a sudden, he turned his face and grinned, which made me as confused as ever.

"Gotcha!"

"You little piece of shit," I mumbled as I laid back, with him soon copying my action and stayed there right next to me. Even though he was wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt, I could still see his toned abdomen and biceps, but it made me wonder why he worked out at the end of fall. But I shook it off and stared up at the ceiling, seeing nothing but the tiny white bumps.

"Hey, Renji?"

"Hmm?"

"I have a couple of questions."

"Did you go through my room?"

"What…? No."

"Good. Then I'll be happily to answer any questions you may have."

"Uhm, how does Shuhei know about the whole situation?"

"You idiot, he's the same as me. He works there."

"How come you didn't tell me before we picked him up?"

"I wanted to see how you'd react."

"Uhm, okay. Anyways," I said, turning over to my side to face him, "How on Earth am I going to pay for Byakuya's surgery?"

"I thought you had a job."

"What job?"

"The one you had last night?"

"What? The bar thingy? Oh, no, no, no, you're mistaken. I was just messing around with the drinks."

"Boss said you're hired."

"What?" I ask with eyes wide open, "But I didn't even see him or-"

"You don't have to. All that matters is if _he _sees _you._"

"That's kinda creepy, but whatever," I sighed, "But I didn't fill out a resume or anything! And I don't even know when I'm supposed to work! What kind of fucked up place is this?"

"You have your words, I have mine."

"Ain't that the truth. How long have you been working over there anyways?" I inquire.

"About a month or so. Shuhei's the one who told me about it. He's been working for almost a year now."

"Good for him," I said sarcastically. I couldn't help but feel a tiny flicker of hate burn in my heart. I had no idea why, but it was born the instant Renji said those words. If he hadn't got Renji involved, then he wouldn't have been hiding secrets from me. But he said the only reason he was doing it was to protect me, so I must assume he's doing it for a good reason. The only problem is, _why _can't I know? I mean, I'm clear with the location and what goes down there. That part's simple. It's the people that I don't get. Like, I don't get why most of them have codenames and why they were wearing feathers in September and gah, I'm so lost. I feel like I'm in a maze with no way out.

"Rukia?"

"W-What?" I stutter.

"Do you wanna know a bit more about my job?"

"I thought it was a 'secret'."

"Well, it isn't anymore," He grinned.

"Well, go on already."

"I'm pretty sure you noticed the uh, wide variety of people there last night?"

"Yeah, but why were people wearing feathers and who was that guy with the big blue feather and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. One at a time, _please_!"

"Okay, jeez!"

"Now, the feathers. It's a bit complicated, so listen up. Not _everybody _wears a feather. It's kind of like an employee ID, if you will."

"How?"

"You see, different colors mean different jobs. Like, pink is especially for the ladies that were, uhm, _performing._"

"I…see. But how does a place like that even exist? And what about the boss? I haven't even met him yet."

"I have no clue. I'm just working there. And as for Boss, you'll meet him soon, don't worry. Chances are, you probably already have, but you just don't know it yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not like he comes out of the open and says, 'Nice to meet cha, I'm so-and-so and you are?'"

"But why can't I know?"

"I never said you can't."

"So, what's his name?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki. His name sounds Japanese, but trust me, he looks nothing like it."

"I find that a little offensive. Do _I _look Japanese?"

"Nope. Your eyes are big and not squinty. That, and you don't have a squeaky voice."

"You are such an idiot," I giggled, "Is he a mix?"

"I think so, but I forgot what else. It's some kind of weird country in the middle of nowhere. But he's a good guy. I explained to him about you and your brother and he said he's willing to pay double on two conditions."

"Really? Like what?"

"One, you have to sign a contract."

"A contract?"

"Yup. He said you have to work at least six months. And two, you have to make a new menu of drinks."

"An entire menu?! That's crazy!"

"Don't worry, I'll give you a couple recipes. And he said you're more than welcome to experiment with any alcohol possible. You just need to give him a list of the stuff you need."

"But I don't know how to experiment and all that."

"Isn't that what you did with the drinks last night?"

"Huh?"

"That drink you made. Boss said he watched you and said that you looked like you knew what you were doing."

"But where was he?"

"Doesn't matter. Besides, it's better if people don't know. For everybody's sake."

"But-"

"What now?!"

"…Where's my phone?"

"Oh," He said as he cleared his throat, "Check in the closet. It should be in your purse. Oh, and I charged your phone last night so it should be good now."

"Kay thanks," I said as I got off the bed and walked to the closet and opened it, trying to find my stuff through the pile of clothes on the floor.

"Holy shit!" Shuhei hollered. I heard footsteps run towards us and at the door, his eyes wide open and directed at Renji.

"Do you know what fucking time it is?!" He shouted.

"Uhm, no?"

"We're late for-"

"No need to tell me! I know!" Renji yelled as he ran out the door. I got up and walked after them to see the two on the ground, rapidly tying their shoes.

"Uh, where are you going?"

"Ah, uhm, a m-m-meeting," Renji said as he tied the knot over his shoe.

"That's right!" Shuhei yelled, "We can't be late again! Oh, no, no, no. The meeting leader person will be pissed!"

"Oh _really_? And just what kind of meeting is this?" I ask with my hands on my hips.

"Uh, uh-" Renji said as he ran out the door with Shuhei close behind.

"Weight Watchers!" He yelled as he shut the door.

I wasn't surprised. They _have _put on a few. But I quickly shook it off and went back to the closet in pursuit of my phone. But when I got there, I heard a constant buzzing. I figured it must've been my phone, but I didn't know where. As I shifted some stuff around, I got closer to the sound, but it was still far away. My eyes caught sight of the leathery strap of my purse and I knew I found it. But I was more interested in my phone rather than my purse. Once I found it, I hit the 'talk' button put the phone between my shoulder and mouth.

"Ello?"

"G'morning, lutko."

I scream, drop the phone and quickly back away, not believing my ears. How in the bloody hell did _he _get my number? Wait a minute…

_Renji._

I quickly take a couple of deep breaths as I try to calm down and then pick up my phone.

"H-Hello?" I ask.

"Uhm…are you okay?"

"Yeah, you just scared me."

"Really? I thought you were excited to hear my voice," He chuckled.

"Keep on dreaming," I snorted, "So, why didja call me?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, what a coincidence, me too," I said sarcastically.

"Shoot."

"How on Earth did you get my number?"

"Joker."

"_Shuhei _gave you my number?"

"But _I _asked personally."

"Really?" I ask as I sit on the bed and cross my legs with the phone between my shoulder and chin, "And just why did you do that?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's cause I want you to make that drink again? Or maybe it's 'cause I'd want to steal another kiss?"

I chuckled and said, "You've got some issues, honey. Oh, what about your question you mentioned earlier?"

"Oh yeah, did you ever get a chance to meet Boss yet?"

"Nope. I asked Renji about him but all he said was that I had met him before, but I just don't know it. As if his identity is a secret. I just don't get it."

"It'll make more sense once you meet him."

"And he also mentioned how he watched me last night while I, uhm, made the drinks, but I had no clue. I mean, if I had known my boss was watching me for the first time, I would've tried to act a bit more 'professional' you know? Now, I'm so embarrassed that I kissed you in front of all those people and-"

"Were you ashamed of kissing me?"

"Oh, no. no, no, it's not like that! I just don't people to think I'm a slut or anything. Especially the Boss."

"Don't worry about him. He was busy at the time. As for the others, just don't give a flying rat's ass about them. Half of them are pathetic human beings that have no purpose in life."

"And just how would you know if he was or wasn't busy?"

"Because I asked."

"You _what_?!"

"Chill. He just laughed when I told him."

"Oh," I said as I exhaled the breath I was holding, "Do you know when I could meet him?"

"Be patient. You will eventually."

When he said those words, I somehow sensed a bit of uneasiness in his voice, which made me worry slightly.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not. I just have a feeling you will."

"Tell me, what's he like?"

"Wouldn't you rather find that out yourself?"

"…You're right. I'd rather meet him firsthand. But I-"

"Tell you what. You go get ready and I'll pick you up in five."

"But wai-"

And just like that, he hung up.

Asshole.

I put the phone down on the nightstand and just realized—I've gotten nowhere. If anything, I was more confused that I already was (if that's even possible). That, plus I was still in pajamas and an attractive male was coming in less than five and I had no idea what I was going to wear. That son of a bitch could've at least given me more time to get ready.

I opened the closet and quickly shuffled through my options, not seeing anything that really caught my eye. Now, you may be thinking, 'How and why does Renji have a closet full of women's clothing?' Well, to answer your question, sometimes I bring extra clothes whenever I spend the night (which would be whenever I had a _really _bad day) and he just puts them in this closet that's just for me. It's not like he uses it. Hell, I don't even think he uses the room. But I digress.

I couldn't find something that really 'popped', but I just picked what I liked and tried to make it work. I quickly pulled them out of the closet and put them on, looking at the reflection of the mirror hanging across from me. I had on a plain white tee with a grey shawl over my shoulder and black skinny jeans underneath. I cursed under my breath as I looked at the clock, realizing that I wouldn't have the time to even put on foundation. I groaned and swiped the knit red beret at the top of the pile of crap in the closet and right as I was about to look for shoes, the doorbell rang. I ran over to the door, but I tried not to mess up the cap. I tried to remain calm and catch my breath, but the butterflies in my stomach kept on giving me that 'airy' feeling.

"You gonna open the door or not?"

"May~be. Maybe not."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because Mom told me never to let a stranger in the house."

"Oh? Does that also imply to kissing or did you just want another sample of me?"

"Shut up," I growled, "I haven't even let you in and you're already being a pain."

"Well, if I'm such a burden, then I think the best thing to do is to leave. And you'll be out of a job because you won't know when or how to get there."

"I have Renji and Shuhei. They can take me."

"Suit yourself. I have to go. Time waits for no one."

As seconds passed, I could hear him slowly walking away with no hesitation of turning back and I just stood there, brain-dead. It was until I only heard complete silence that I snapped to my senses. I opened the door and shouted, "Wait! Don't go!"

I didn't see him. I kept running down the carpeted path in pursuit of the auburn-haired man, but I returned without avail. My heart had sunk to my feet and I was in a mini-depression. I was so mad at myself…but I didn't really know why. I felt so alone.

So, I walked all the way back to Renji's house and shut the door behind me with a deep sigh. I slump back against the door and slid down to the floor. I had my legs tucked up to my chest and dropped my head in between my chest and my knees and just sat there. I didn't know what to do.

I got up and walked to the bedroom and threw my shawl on the bed.

"So, how long were you out there?"

I yelp in fright, being scared to death at the sudden sound of the voice.

_His _voice.

I spin around and see the man behind me with a subtle grin at the edge of his lips.

"Didja miss me?"

"Nope," I murmured as I turn my back towards him, "Not one bit."

"Lago," He said as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Huh?" I ask.

"Liar. It means liar."

"You're the liar."

"Oh?" He said as his rested his chin on my shoulder blade, "How so?"

"You said you were going to leave, but here you are."

"I lied because I wanted to see your reaction."

"My reaction to _what_?" I ask as I try to pry his hands apart, but it was futile. His grip was like superglue.

"To how you'd react if you have that opportunity to save your brother walk right out the door. Sure, you can get to _The Rendezvous _by Renji and Shuhei, but _I'm _the one who advises the Boss who should stay and go. I have to say, I'm a bit surprised. I knew you would at least yell at me to come back, but I didn't think you'd be that stupid to run the other way."

"You went the _other _way?"

"Yup. Then when you were gone, I went back in here for a piss because the other bathroom was stuck up. And so yeah, here I am, like you said. Now, aren't you the tiniest bit happy to see me?"

"…Maybe," I grumbled, getting a tighter hug in response, "So, are you going to fill me in about my job or not?"

"Sure," He said as he let go and took a seat at the edge of the bed, "What do you want to know about?"

"Renji mentioned something about a 'contract'."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, he said something about me having to six months. Why is that?"

"So Boss can have enough time to decide whether or not you're loyal and if you're worth having around."

"And if I'm not?"

"We'll save that for another time. Now, I bet you were about to ask, 'Well, how the hell am I going to make up an entire menu', correct?

I turn my head as I take a seat next to him.

"It's nothing to worry about. I'll even help ya out. I'll be your 'taste tester'. Hmm? How does that sound?"

"Hmmm," I said as I ponder about it, "It'll cost ya!"

"Okay."

I look over his shoulder and see him digging in an old worn-out leather wallet, but I snatch it away, leaving him as confused as ever. I grin at him before I ran away and I could hear him leaping off that springy old bed and dash right after me.

"So, you're a thief, are you?" He asks as I turn the corner of the hallway.

"Correction, I _was _a thief. Those days are long gone."

"I see what they mean by 'old habits die hard'."

"Hey, don't be jealous just 'cause you can't keep up with a girl."

"You're gonna regret saying those words," He chuckled.

"Really? How-"

But before I could finish, he caught me and grabbed me by the arms and pinned me up against the wall with one hand around my waist. I didn't know whether to be scared or embarrassed. I didn't know if he was still fooling around or if his testosterone levels went through the roof. But that still didn't change the fact that his face was inches away from mine. Our heavy breaths were mixed in the small gap between our mouths and my heart felt like it was going to burst from all the adrenaline. It was then that I just noticed that his chest was against mine and that moment, he pulled me closer and I noticed that he was staring right into my eyes and we got so close that our noses bumped into each other, but that didn't change a thing. There's really no words to describe how I felt at the moment. I felt so at ease then. It was if he had stopped time and we were the only two things in the Earth that mattered. He moved the hand that was on my arm to the side of my face and he loosened his grip around my waist. I wrap my arms around my neck and pull him closer towards me so we could kiss, but once I felt his upper lip brush against mine, but he just stopped right there and then. He backed away from me and nodded his head in refusal.

"I can't do this. I just can't."

"What do you mean? Everything's just fine. You did nothi-"

"Don't you dare finish that lie. Don't you dare."

Those words were like poison to my ears. I remember them even to this day.

"But what's the big deal? Did _I _do something?"

"No, it's all me. Just please," He said as he got both of my hands, "Forgive me."

He covered his mouth with his hand and looked away, as if he was disgusted with himself. I saw a tear or two trickle down the side of his face and that made _me _want to cry. Maternal instincts, I guess. But I couldn't just stand to see someone cry and not do anything about it. I grabbed his hands and place them in my lap and looked up at him, seeing only sorrow and despair in those hazel eyes of his. He leaned on me and cried onto my shoulder and used the top of my shawl as a towel for his tears. I cradled the back of his head with one head and his back with the other. It seemed as he was bottling up some emotions and he just had to let them out. I could kind of understand how he felt. Seeing him pour out his feelings like that made a pang strike through my heart, reminding me of the pain I felt not so long ago when I heard the news about Byakuya.

A few moments later, the crying had eventually ceased and before I could ask if he was okay, he got up and looked down at me and offered a hand. I took it and he pulled me up and towards him and whispered in my ear, "Thank you."

He then grabbed me by the wrist and tried to lead me out the door, but I jerked my arm away in refusal.

"What the hell is going through your head? Where the hell are you taking me and-"

"Shut up."

"Excuse _me?_"

"You talk too much. Just talk a walk with me.

"And why should I?" I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'll tell you everything. I promise."

Gee, where have I heard _that _before?

I scoffed.

He then grabbed both of my arms and looked me directly in the eyes.

"I promise," He said.

"Hmm…a liar making a promise. Not a good combination, is it?"

"Just trust me."

"And why should I? What if you flip a bipolar shit again? Hmm?"

He was silent then and then glared at me with such fierceness that I almost whimpered like a dog. He then turns his back to me as he scratched the back of his head. I felt so bad after saying that. Stupid guilt. It made me feel like the biggest bitch in the world.

"I'm asking you one last time. Will you _please _walk with me? I need to tell you a few things that have been on my mind."

I ponder about it for a moment. Apologizing to him with the only thing running around in my mind because the guilt was killing me.

"Yeah, but I have a few things to say too."

"Well, let's get going then."

I grabbed my purse, cell, and flats before heading out and locking the door. We went down the elevator and out of the apartments and crossed a few streets 'til we got to the park and we remained on the endless path of concrete. We didn't say a word since we left the apartment and it was really starting to bug me.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"For?"

"Calling you bipolar and stuff. I'm sorry, I really am. I had no idea that you-"

"I'm not bipolar."

_"And the award for biggest dumbass on the planet goes to…Rukia Kuchiki!!!_

"Then what happened back there? What was it that made you break down?"

"You…and me."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, I…don't have that good of a control over my emotions. And the last thing I'd want to happen is to lose you because of that. For example, I could tell you were bummed back there when I didn't kiss you, right?"

"…Possibly," I muttered.

"I was trying to be careful. I didn't want to pressure you, but I didn't want to go crazy either. I'm not sure if you understand, but it's almost as if that 'other side' is fighting for control. I don't understand it myself. But you see, whenever I drink or smoke a bit, it tends to fade away."

"So, drugs are the answer?"

"That's a blunt way of putting it, but yes."

"I am so sorry. If I had known, I would have never-"

"Hey, don't apologize. You're just too cute for your own good, that's all," He said as he snaked an arm around my side and pulled me closer as we walked.

"Is it something serious or are you just angry or what?"

"Dunno. But I refuse to get therapy. I can't do that shit."

"Why?"

"All my life, I've been criticized because I'm not 'normal'. Whether it be my appearance or just the way I act, it's always me. But I always shrugged it off, try to keep a cool, and ignore the assholes that are talking shit. But now, my emotional stability isn't as strong as it was and I'm starting to pay attention to _all _the things that are happening. And I definitely don't need therapy to rub it in that I'm not 'normal'."

"You wanna know what I think?"

"Hmm?"

"Normality is overrated."

I heard a laugh, a chaste, genuine laugh escape from his lips and it made me smile. There was some essence behind a laugh that is just too pure to ignore. He pulled me in and kissed me on my forehead, as if he was giving thanks.

"You know what I wonder?"

"What?"

"Just how crazy I am. Think about it. I have lost my marbles. Who do you know, and correct me if I'm wrong, has a 'thing' with someone they have only known for two days?"

"No one said there has to be a certain amount of time before you start having a 'thing' for someone."

"True, but still. It makes me feel…slutty."

"You could never be something as disgusting and as repulsive as that. You're my lutko. You could never be like them."

"Well, that's nice and all, but I have still yet to find out what 'lutko' means. Care to explain?"

"Well, it's a long story, but I'd say we have plenty of time. So, back when I first saw you-"

"Does this have anything to do with what it means?"

"Yes, now let me finish my story," He grumbled as he flicked my arm, "First time I saw you…I was thinking 'How does a person that short exist?'"

"I-"

"Lemme finish," He growled, "But I was also thinking, 'She reminds me a lot of Yuzu's lutko."

"Yu-who?"

"My little sister. She had this little doll with long black hair and light green eyes and porcelain skin. She would bring it _everywhere _with her. She loved that thing as if it was her own child. She couldn't think of a name, so she just called it 'Lutko'."

"But it was just a doll, right?"

"Yeah, but the thing is, she's Autistic. She only has me, her sister, and our mom. That, and she is the youngest out of us. To her, that doll was the only friend she had that wasn't family. You had no idea how ashamed I felt when I saw kids picking on her and I couldn't do a damned thing. I was disgusted with myself for not being able to protect her. I mean, that's what big brothers are for. My other sister, Karin, had to protect her when I couldn't. That's just shameful right there. I swear to God, if I ever see those people again, I'll fuckin'-"

"Hey!" I barked, bringing the man to his senses.

"I'm sorry, it's just a difficult subject to talk about. I usually don't talk about my past with people, but you're an exception. You're one of the few people that can calm me down. I appreciate that. Really, I do."

"It's fine, just give me time to adjust. So, lemme get this straight. You dubbed me 'lutko' because I look like your sister's doll, is that right?"

"You don't like it?"

"Oh, I do! It's cute, really! I just never heard of it, that's all. But when you mentioned when you first saw me, when _was _the first time you saw me exactly?"

"When you had breakfast with Renji.

"When you were necking with that lady with the big boobies?"

"Ha, uhm, yeah," He said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Whatever happened to her? Did you two break up?"

"I guess you could saw we're 'seeing other people'. Well, at least _I _am."

"Does she know?"

"Yeah. Last time I talked to her, she told me to decide between you and her and I said neither. And she thought I was covering up for you, so she threw a plate but she missed and hit the wall. A piece did cut me pretty bad on my torso though."

"Who the fuck throws a plate at someone?"

"It was her time of the month."

"Ah, the woman's excuse to every time she flips a shit or gets bitchy. Is your cut okay?"

"Dunno. Hold on, lemme check."

And right then, he handed me his leather jacket and he started to take off his shirt, but I yanked it down

"What's your deal? I need to see if it's okay."

"You can't just strip in a public park! Are you crazy?!"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well at least wear the jacket over it so it isn't as plain as day," I muttered as I handed him it. This time he _did _take off his polo and the bandage was _huge_. I went to touch it, but then I jerk my hand back, not sure if I could remove it or not.

"It's fine, you can have a look."

I put one hand on his chest to balance myself while the other is slowly peeling off the bind.

"My God…" I said as I covered my gaping mouth with my hand. I just stare and gawk at it, not believing what a single shard of porcelain can do. It stretched from his sternum to the middle of his stomach and I gasp in horror.

It was then that I noticed him wincing in pain and the trail of blood that was gushing out of the end of the wound. I lead him to a nearby bench so he could sit down. By then, it had bled a little more and started to stain the insides of his jacket. I carefully shrug it off and put it to the side while I dug in my purse for packs of Kleenex. I carefully patted the areas that were bleeding but all I could hear was his shallow breathing. He had his head tilted back and looking up at the sky. I could really get to the other side (because his chest was so broad) so I had to sit on him so I could get a good angle so that I could tend to both sides.

The bleeding had gradually slowed, but there was still a lot of blood left and I had run out of tissues. I had no choice. I took off my shawl and wrapped it around the wound and secured it tightly at his shoulder. By the time I was done, I noticed that he was watching me the entire time and yet again, I felt like a dumbass.

"You had one hell of a boo-boo."

"How many times am I going to have to thank you? Why are you doing all of this?"

"You idiot, I couldn't just let you bleed to death!"

"No, I mean, why are you looking out for me? It makes no sense. You don't even know me and you take care of me as if you're my mom."

"Maternal instincts."

"Yeah? Well, maternal instincts would've sent me to the cuckoo-shack a long-ass time ago. Tell me the _real _reason why you're doing all of this."

"I haven't a damned clue. I really don't."

"Funny, that's my answer too."

"To what?"

"To why I'm opening up to you this fast. It usually takes _years _before I even mention about Yuzu to my friends, but you…you just…it feels like you get me. Like, you're the only _real_ person who understands how it is. Now, I may be wrong. You may be living a completely normal life and-"

"You're dead wrong."

"Thought so. But can you make a promise?"

"Sure thing," I smiled.

"I know I'll open up to you, but I also want to know more about _you_."

"Why?"

Right then, raindrops started pouring and I tried to help the auburn up, but he just shook his head.

"Give me one more minute. This feels good."

I swing my leg over so that both of them are on the right side of him and I leaned on his chest and I felt his slow, but steady heartbeat on my side.

"Y'know, I think this'd be much better in somewhere dry," I muttered.

"Mhmm, He said as he slipped one arm under my knees and the other around my back, carrying me bridal-style across the park, but I could hear him slightly groaning in pain. I pat his chest and tell him I wanna be put down, but he refuses.

"You idiot, you're going to hurt yourself."

"Doesn't matter. It can heal."

"But still, I want to be put down. I feel a bit nauseous."

Lie.

And so he did. I looped my arm over his neck as he does the same, using me as a bit of support. The only place I could think of that was dry and public was the subway station so we went there.

Once we finally reached the last step, we both let out a sigh of relief as we lay back against the wall. I took a moment or two to catch my breath and in the corners of my eyes, I saw the man grinning.

"Tired already?" He asked.

"Nah…just out of breath."

"It's from staring at my chest, isn't it?"

"Please, don't flatter yourself."

"I don't have to. I saw your face when you first looked at it."

"S-So?!"

"Admit it. You like it."

"And? What if I do? It's only natural," I said as I crossed my arms and turn my back.

"Now, now, don't be like that," He said, wrapping his arms around my neck from behind, "After all, you can look at it as long as you want."

"Hmm…I want something else though."

"Like?"

"Your name."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I wanna know," I said, turning to face him.

"It'll cost ya," He grinned.

"You're not talking about money, are you?"

"Nope, He said as he pulled me closer and blocked my left side with his arm. He was still shirtless, but he had on his jacket, but in a way, that made him even more hotter. Our lips were closer than ever and his were hovering right over mine, but before he could back out on the opportunity (again), I locked my lips with his. The goosebumps _and _the butterflies started rushing back, but they just made the moment even better. I felt his tongue meet mine for a split second but I pulled it back, because I wasn't the best at kissing. I had a feeling I was about to tip over so I wrap my arms around his neck, which made the kiss even deeper (to be honest, I feel a bit embarrassed writing about this). I felt his tongue lightly treading across the edge of my bottom lip and I couldn't help but giggle. I felt like such a schoolgirl (hardy har har). But what _really_ surprised me wasn't at how good he was at kissing. That was a given when I saw him making out with Pamela Anderson over there. It was _how _he kissed. If anything, I expected a violent and lusty vigor behind him but instead, it was rather tender, yet protective. I _totally _didn't expect that coming.

We broke away (only by a few inches) and I stared into his eyes, noticing that a beautiful shade of amber was surrounding with pupils with a forest-ish green beyond it.

"Your eyes are so pretty," I said, getting a weird look from him in response. After a second of realizing what I had just said, I cover my mouth with both hands as my cheeks flare up.

I heard him chuckle and then he said, "You definitely don't dance to the beat of the track, do you?"

I had no idea what he meant but I went with it anyway and smile. He then got behind me and put both arm around my neck as he moved his head right next to my ear.

I could feel his warm breath trickling around the inside of my ear and then he said, "So, do you want to know my name?"

I nodded.

"It's John. John Collins."


	3. A Shred of Hope

"Shinji, get over here. Shinji. Shinji!"

"What is it, woman?"

"I said get over here!"

"I heard you the first time!"

"Then why didn't you get your ass over here in the first place?"

"Because you were yelling at me!"

The woman exhaled a deep breath before speaking in an attempt to lose some of her stress.  
"Just what is so important that you had to yell, anyway?" The blonde male asked as scratched his neck on the way there.

"I'm finding more clues but I still haven't checked this file cabinet," The female jerked a thumb behind her, "Do you mind?"

Shinji shrugged and proceeded to dig for any clues that could help with their investigation. Several minutes passed before the two of them spoke and by then, the male was starting to get a bit antsy from all of the silence.

"You find anything?"

"Nope. You?"

"Why would I be asking if I did?"

"Shut up and look," She mumbled as she moved some papers around on the desk; quickly, but carefully scanning the text that each had. It was all useless. It was just a bunch of notes and diagrams that were probably from college work.

"Isn't there an actual witness to help us instead?"

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked as he pulled out some old, dusty notebook from the cabinet and blew away the dust right at the woman's face, which made her cough.

"What's your problem?"

"Correction, problem_s_," He said, enunciating the last letter, "One, this lousy-ass investigation that's getting us nowhere and two, you still won't go out on a simple date with yours truly."

"Well, if God's out there, he'll give us the answers we've been looking for all day."

"But what if he's not? What if _I _find it instead?"

"Then I can finally sleep."

"Then you can go out on a date with me," He grinned.

"Shinji, you know as well as I do that co-workers-"

"Oh, don't give me that speech," The blonde interrupted as he put his fingers on her lips, "You work too much. Consider this as a chance to…_relax_."

"I'll relax _after _I find some evidence that our man is innocent."

"Rangiku, get real. He's been in the situation he is now for over a month. What makes you think that something just out of the blue will pop up and save this crisis? Hmmm?"

"Hope."

"Excuse me?"

"I have hope. I believe that we'll find a way. Somehow. If we can just get someone to explain what happened…that's it!"

"What's it?"

"What about _her_? She can explain to everybody what happened! She was there that day! I remember her telling me!"

"But Ran-"

"And by then, our man will be fine and everything will be just fine and this whole case will be called off and-"

"Rangiku!"

"Lemme finish! We just need to find her and-"

"We _can't _find her!"

"And why the hell not?"

The blonde turned around and scratched the back of his head, not wanting to answer that question.

"Shinji, I know you heard me. Let me repeat myself. Why the hell can't you find her?"

He still didn't say anything.

"Answer me, damn-"

"She's dead."

Rangiku covered her gaping mouth with her hand and stared down at the ground, feeling so foolish to have such high expectations and stupid dreams. She felt as if she had just made a capital insult to her partner, but she had no idea why the guilt was hurting so much.

"I'm sorry," She bowed her head.

Shinji walked towards the window and stared out into the street, not making any eye-contact with the woman.

"It's okay, you didn't know. From what I heard, only I and a select few knew about it."

"But why?"

"King's orders."

"Who else knew?"

"I don't know. Strawberry told me personally so, yeah."

"Then why can't we just get the people who knew about it?"

"That's the thing. They don't know _enough _and people will get suspicious on how we knew _he _knew."

"Then…what's left?" Rangiku asked, not really finding anymore hope left.

"What's in this room. She said that this was his little own room whenever he need to get away from people."

"Well, he always _did _seem a bit uncomfortable around people."

"Mhmm, but you could never tell when he was grinning like the devil himself," Shinji chuckled as he opened the notebook that he had in hand and opened the cover, a bit surprised as to what it had written.

"'Therapeutic Datalog: To be used by and to be reviewed by Dr.. Well, that gives us _loads _of information," The blonde mumbled as he turned the page and quickly read through the notes, seeing pages and pages of words that seemed to go on forever and ever.

"Rangiku, take a look at this."

The woman walked over to her partner and took the journal, but found no interest in it.

"Junk."

"No, not junk! Do you know what this is?"

"The journal of an insane person?"

"Yes, but even better, this is the shit we've been looking for! See," He said as he flipped a couple of pages, "September 24th, 2009."

"Holy cow, that thing is old!" Rangiku exclaimed as she took a seat in the office chair across from Shinji.

"I know, but there's more than just the date so chill, kay?" He grinned at her as he continued to read on. Little did they know that they were about to discover the hidden truths of their close friend.

_Datalog: Day 1_

Well, I guess this is it. I have officially lost my mind. I am actually going to therapy. But the thing is, when I got there, they hand me this journal and tell me to write down all of my emotions and thoughts and shit of every day down. That makes no sense.

But this whole journal thing got me thinking about today. It was so bizarre in so many ways. There's this certain woman that just piques my curiosity. I had only known her for a day or so and I've opened up to her faster than it has taken some of my close friends. She…is a mystery. I haven't completely figured her out yet, but I'm starting to figure out bits and pieces of information with each minute I spend with her. But then again, she's in the same position as me. She doesn't know _anything _about me except for my name. It's kind of like a game, if you will. I cast the bait, real a bit, and then let it loose. Reel a bit closer this time, but I have to be careful not to make any drastic moves. Dear God…I'm comparing her to a fish. Maybe this whole therapeutic shit will be good in the long run after all. But I have nowhere to start other than the beginning, no?

We met a few days ago on the street by chance and now, we had just finished lockin' lips at a subway station and I remember everything.

But as I was saying, I had only met her and yet, it felt like I had known her for years. I guess that's why I felt so at ease with her. So, when my wound opened up that day, I felt no obligation to cover it up and act 'macho' and whatnot. I won't lie, that thing hurt like a thousand burning hells. However, it was raining that day so, it didn't sting as much but as much as I refused, she wrapped her scarf around the wound so it wouldn't bleed as much. By then, we had just gotten out of the rain and we had engaged in a conversation.

"So, John," She mumbled as she fidgeted with her hair, "How come it took you this long to finally tell me your name?"

"I dunno," I shrugged, but then I figured something. "Speaking of which, you still haven't told me _your _name and you don't see me interrogating you."

"Blame curiosity. And I should just make you wait as long because-"

"As I recall, I already did."

"Eh?"

"I asked you for your name before, but you only gave me your surname."

"Likewise."

"So, in all terms, I have waited just as much as you."

That was a lie. I have waited, no, _yearned_ to know her name. That meeting on the street was just a coincidence. I had seen her before, but she just didn't know it. But it's not like I was stalking her or anything. Her friend Renji (who I was close friends with) brought up her name occasionally and at first, I thought they were dating because of how he made it sound but little did I know that I was way off. But I didn't want to seem a creep, so I didn't ask questions about her.

"Rukia."

"Rukia, I like the sound of that," I grinned as I took a step closer towards her, "But you're still my lutko."

She giggled as she pushed me away and then made her way to the ticket booth and talked to the server, but she glanced back at me with a puzzled look on her face as she walked back to me.

"Where we headed?" She asked.

"Hmmm…I got an idea. Hold on," I said as I got out a $20 out of my wallet and placed it her hand, "Ask for a guy named C.M. If they ask why, tell them Strawberry's here. He'll have short pink hair and really pale skin. There's also a crest tattoo smack dab in the middle of his neck and he'll have on grey glasses. He'll ask your business here and just say you're with me."

"And if he doesn't believe me?"

"Don't worry about that," I said as I messed with her hair, "He has a knack for telling when people are telling the truth and when they aren't. Now go, go," I mumbled as I pushed her towards the booth, but she didn't look so confident, judging by the look on her face. When she was out of hearing distance, I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Goddammit, I was in the middle of a nap," A man on the other line grumbled, "Yeah, whaddaya want?"

"I see you're busy watching over the place, Bear."

"It's not my fault this place is like a ghost town during the day."

"And it better stay that way. After all, I am trusting you with watching over the place."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to tell me twice," He yawned, "So, why'd you call anyways?"

"I'm just callin' to letcha know that I'm bringing in a 'guest'. Thought I'd show her what happens behind the scenes of all the light and glamour."

"You know I'm going to be investigating the chick like a fuckin' copper."

"Now, don't go overboard like last time."

"It's not my fault. They shouldn't have pissed me off."

"You made her cry so bad that she ran out of tears."

"Then they need to get some medication for that shit."

"Just please, promise me you won't scare this one."

There was a brief silence on the line, which made me a bit nervous.

"I'll try."

"Alright then. Try to make the place tidy, would ya?"

"Fine."

I pushed the 'End' button and stuck the phone in my pocket before Rukia could see me.

"He said the next ride would be here any second now."

And right then, a subway pulled up right in front of us. How weird. But then again, I couldn't even try to imagine how confused Rukia was. Overall, I thought she was handling the situation pretty well (aside from flipping out every now and then). But I wanted to tell her everything; I honestly did. But I knew I couldn't There was too much at stake. The only way she could find out was if she met the 'Boss', but it was far too early for that. I wanted to see if she could handle constantly being under pressure.

"Hell-o?"

Her voice brought me back to reality, but left me a bit confused.

"Huh?" I ask.

"You're getting old, gramps."

"I'm not that old."

"Really? Just how old _are _you?"

"I am of 24 years of age."

"Really? Because you don't act like it."

"What do you mean?" I asked as we got into the doors of subway and took our seats right next to the exit, but across from each other. I quickly glance around and notice nobody's on, like expected.

"Like, sometimes, you act like a teenager, but when you're really serious, you act like you're 30 or something."

"Oh, gee, _thanks_," I grumbled. Age was one of my biggest pet peeves.

"Now don't get all bent out of shape about it," Rukia giggled, "Honestly, I thought you were older."

"Not helping," I glared.

"I mean, at times, you act mature for your age. That's a good thing, right?"

"I suppose," I grumbled, "But how old are _you_?"

"I'm not telling."

"I told you mine, so tell me yours."

"Didn't we have this conversation before?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, but it's getting interesting," I grinned.

"Oh really? And why is that?" She asked as she rested the side of her head on the steel pole that people used to hold on to.

"Is one needed?"

"I guess not. But I'll throw you a bone. I'm in my early twenties."

"Now, that's a lie," I chuckled.

"Is not!" She stood up. "Why do you think I'm lying?"

"Well, for one, you're short. Two, you don't act like it. And three, that's way too young."

"What is with you and my shortness? And I'm not too young!"

"Nothing. But if you really _are _in your early twenties, then…" I stopped.

"Then what?"

"Then I feel older than I already am."

"Oh, shut up," She giggled as she threw a piece of nearby newspaper at me. I caught it with one hand and put it to the side, and saw that Rukia had taken the other seat next to me. She leaned on my side and then let out a yawn as she rubbed her eye.

"So, how come you don't believe me?"

"Because there's no way in hell you're near my age."

"Again, why so skeptical?"

"Because you don't act like it."

"I could say the same for you, buddy."

"But then again, age is just a number," I said as I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. I could see that she was starting to get drowsy because she started to yawn more and more.

A few minutes passed and by then, Rukia was knocked out. I was a bit uneasy at the time because I knew we weren't the only people on the train.

I carefully slip off my jacket and cover her with it, seeing as how she was shivering slightly. I put my polo back on and see that there was a slight blood stain at the bottom, but I didn't give a shit. I would've gone shirtless, but I didn't want to get any more weird looks than I already did. I walked on ahead and when I got to car before the conductor's, the door opened to reveal a small room in front of me. There was another door straight ahead of me and to my left and right was a row of smooth seats on each side. I glance to the side, seeing a well-dressed woman that I knew. She had smooth caramel skin but her hair was literally (and naturally) as yellow as a dandelion. On the top of it was a knit ebony cap that kept her bangs in place and hovered over her solid black rectangular glasses. In her hands was today's newspapers which rested on her crossed knew and right then, she folded it in half and stared up at me, which made me freeze in my tracks but I kept my cool and just smiled.

She opened up her newspaper and after a moment or so of silence, she said, "Are you just going to stand there?"

"Uhm, no. I was just thinking about something."

"Something's that's troubling you."

"Nah," I said with a plastered smile as I took the seat across from her, "It's nothing, Tia."

"Suit yourself," She said as she adjusted her frames as then flipped the page. Back to stage 1. Great.

I released a deep sigh as I stared out the window and see the lights rush right past me. To be honest (and I'll prob'ly regret writing this down), it made me think. At the time, I was _really _anxious to get off of that subway and just take Rukia with me so I could tell her everything. To just run away from everybody and everything; To escape all the violence and bloodshed. But then again, I'm not God. I honestly wonder how society came to this because I can tell you right now, I haven't a damned clue.

All that thinking about society brought me back to the memories of my past, which (more or less) made me think even more than I should have.

I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia (it's in Europe) on December 21st, 1985. I was half of that and half-Japanese (father's side). And, yes, I know that's an odd mix. That's why I got picked on a lot when I was a kid because I didn't 'fit in'.

When I was about five, Dad all wanted us to go to his home country so we packed our bags and flew ourselves to Japan. However, I wasn't the only one who got picked on. My sisters, especially the youngest one, Yuzu, were made fun of as well. She was younger than me by about five years while my other sister, Karin, was three years younger than me. They were like complete opposites. Yuzu had fair skin and had short wheat-colored hair while Karin wasn't as pale and had long black hair. Yuzu was really shy and quiet while her sister was really social. But somehow, we all pissed off our dad because we didn't look 'Japanese'. We all looked like our Mom and we were kinda glad that we didn't look like the clones that were surrounding us. But we didn't give two shits. Well, at least _I _didn't.

He wanted to mold us and even dye our hair to 'fit in with society' but he was too blind in his selfishness to see just how hard it was for us, including our mother. She tried to reason, which led to them arguing, which made Yuzu cry, which led to me and Karin trying to calm her down for an hour and a half and lemme tell you, it's hard calming down a ten-year-old Autistic child. God, the very thought of him makes me want to punch someone. But it's not our mom was any better. She'd always get high on some shit that come out every two weeks or so and so I had to be the 'Mom' of the house since the two of them were always passed out or clubbing. But there were rare occasions when she was sober and when she was, she'd always take me and my sisters out to who knows where. She'd get us a little trinket so we could remember it because we never visited the same place twice…except for that one day.

It was in the June of 2004, and that day…changed a lot of things. Ever since that day, I have seen the world from a different perspective and I have only trusted a few people that I was very close with.

I was 15 at the time and somehow, I remember everything _perfectly. _From the scents and sounds of the deserted town we were visiting to the sights of torn down buildings. There was something about that place that sent shivers down my spine because it was so somber, yet, it felt as if I had been there before.

We (Me, my mom, and my two sisters) were riding a taxi from a nearby city and it pulled up in front of this little shrine/temple all by itself on this giant hill. Behind it was an endless stretch of woods and there was a little creek to its side. I had no idea where the hell this was, but I didn't like it.

When we got out, we saw that there was an old woman with a wheelbarrow selling flowers, incenses, and candles that looked like they'd be used in some kind of funeral or something. I went over to Karin to ask her about the situation. I tugged on her hair to get her attention, which only made her upset.

"Ow! What's your problem?" She hissed.

"I have a question."

"And you had to pull on my hair for that?"

"Yes, because any other way would be boring."

"Well, you have my attention. What's so important that you had to pull a couple of my hairs?"

I bent down and whispered, "Just where the hell are we?"

She back up and looked up me with a look that read, 'You've _got _to be joking'.

"We're at _the _temple," She said in a melancholic tone.

"_The _temple?"

"It…doesn't ring any bells?"

"Not that I can think of."

She sighed and then started to make her way up to the temple but she stopped halfway until she turned her head back and said to me, "We went here…when _she _died."

"Who died? What are you-"

"Karin, you said too much."

I turn around and see the not so cheery woman that my dad married right behind me with burning incense in one hand and a bundle of flowers in the other.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot," She grumbled as she fidgeted with her tangled-up brown mess that she calls her hair. God, how she pissed me off. Something told me that there was no way in Hell I could be related to her.

_And I was right._

So, we make our way up to the very top of the temple and it's nothing more than a round balcony. There were marble pillars with the names of the deceased engraved on it along with their last day. Our mom knelt down and placed the burning incense at the foot of the pillar in the center before saying a silent prayer or two before getting up.

"Girls, could you give me and your brother a minute? We need to have a little 'chat'."

They both shrugged as they went down the stone steps and I was as confused as ever. What 'chat' was she talking about? From the way she said it, she made it seem like _I _did something wrong.

"Gah, this is gonna be hard to break to ya."

"Since when have you given a shit about me?"

"Boy, I'm not in the mood to argue. Not today…"

"Jeez, you're out of it today. I guess that's what happens if you're sober."

"Shut up or I won't tell you what I need to," She growled as she lit up her cigarette on the burning ember of the incense, "I'm pretty sure you have some questions about this weird place, right?"

"A couple," I admitted.

"Well, it might help if you remember what happened during the 'incident'."

"And why would I do that?" I ask with an eyebrow raised.

"Just do it."

"Well, uhm, it was on a rainy night and I was in the car and I was about 10 or so and I remember Dad driving drunk but there was some woman in the seat next to him and-"

"Do you remember anything about her?"

"Why are you asking about her?"

"Just tell me what you remember about her."

"Bossy. Well, she had pale skin, kind face, wavy hair that was brownish but this is useless. I can't remember anything except for her face. But why are you asking, Mom?"

"Boy, don't call me that anymore," She mumbled as she took in her cigarette.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because she isn't your mother."

My eyes widen and my mouth dropped as I turned around to see my father standing at the edge of the steps with a cigar in his mouth and his eyes locked on me.

"Boy, you better wipe that retarded ass look off your face 'fore I beat your ass 'til it's red as a goddamned tomato," He hissed.

"Isshin!"

"Bitch, don't think for a second I won't hesitate to beat your ass too."

"…You're drunk again, aren't you?"

"Like I give a rat's ass."

"This is a new low, even for _you. _Do you even know what day it is?"

"Hell no. And I don't give two shits becau-"

"It's June 15th."

Everything was silent then. Only the sounds of the wind and the rustling of the leaves nearby were the only things making noise. It was so creepy, I couldn't tell what the hell my psychotic dad was thinking.

"Well?" She asked.

He said nothing. Instead, he just walked right past her and knelt down for a silent, but ominous prayer. Once he got up, he proceed to head down the stairs but stopped at where my mom was standing and said, "You remember what she said. Don't you forget it."

She looked down as he continued to walk down the stony steps and leave me as confused as ever. I really didn't know what to say. I felt as if I was in a dark room full of mines and if I made one false move, it'd be adios for yours truly.

"I guess I have no choice then," The woman sighed. She turned her eyes to me and then motioned with a hand for me to come over, but I only did by a few inches.

"Son…it's time to tell you…the truth."

"About what?" I asked as I watched her closely, seeing that she was tapping her foot rapidly and there was a slight twitch in her hands but she still hadn't said anything.

"Well?" I asked again.

"I need to tell you the truth about what really happened at the incident…and about your mom."

"What're you talking about? You're my mom, aren't you?"

Dad's words echoed in my ears, but I refused to listen to them. But it was getting harder to with each passing second. My refusal was starting to lessen, and in the end, I was left with more questions than answers.

_Why'd you hide it from me all these year?_

_Do Karin and Yuzu know?_

_If you're not my mother, then who is?_

"She died…before you woke up…by that same creek over there," She said quietly as she pointed to the trail of trickling water behind me, but I didn't bother to look at it. It would only make me even more upset. I felt like someone has put a gun against the side of my head and pulled the trigger.

"She got killed while you were still in a coma from the car wreck. I'm sorr-"

"When?"

"I said she died before you wok-"

"I heard what you said. And you said she got killed. I'm asking _when _she for got killed, as in, what year?"

"1993. You were only eight at the time and I and your dad were-"

"Whoa, wait a minute. I didn't even know you when I was eight. How did you know my father back then?"

I could tell that I hit bull's eye because her face made the 'oh shit' look.

"W-What the hell you blabbin' about, boy?"

"I'm blabbin' about how the hell you knew my dad when you two only met each other 2 years ago."

"Don't you dare speak to me in that kind of tone! I am your mother!"

I stood up and yelled, "You just said you weren't a minute ago! And I can talk to whoever I want, whenever I want, and however the fuck I want!"

I have never seen eyes widen like hers. I got so creeped out that I thought she might be related to Chuckie himself.

I started walking away, but suddenly, I felt a sharp pain sink into the skin of my wrist. I turn around and see one psychotically deranged woman piercing through my flesh with her nails. I try to buck her off, but she just laughed like a maniac.

"Leaving so soon? I'd thought we'd have a bit of a 'Mother-Son' bonding time."

"The only things that'll be bonding is your mouth to my ass and you better kiss it good because that is this is the last time you'll see it."

"Oh really? And what makes you thin-"

And right then, I punched her right in the side of her ugly ass face and I made a run for it. It was like watching Humpty Dumpty fall over again. So, I used that chance to go find my sisters and to get as far away from this maniac as possible.

"You little piece of shit! Wait 'til I tell you father about this!"

"Tell him! It's not like I give two shits!" I hollered back as I ran down those steps as fast as I could and swooped up Yuzu in one swift move while Karin ran behind me.

"What are you doi-"

"Just run!" I yell, which nearly made the two piss their pants. I didn't know whether or not that lunatic was still after me, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I figured that I hit her pretty hard so that we'd could get a good enough head start, but she was targeting _me_, which only put my sisters in jeopardy and as much as I hated to admit it, there was only one choice.

I led them to the entrance of the woods behind the temple and put Yuzu down and knelt down so I could get their full attention.

"Karin, Yuzu, can you both do me a favor?"

They both nod slowly, but eagerly.

"I need you two to run. Just run as far away from here as you can and never look back."

"But why? What's happening?" Karin asked with tears at the edge of her eyelids.

"I'll explain everything later. Just bring Yuzu and meet me back here in exactly one week from today at midnight."

"But where do we go? And where are you going?"

"Don't worry about me, I got that planned out. Just run into the city and go to the kafana and ask the people working there to see the owner. If they ask why, tell them Strawberry sent you. Once he comes out, just explain everything that happened and he'll let you stay. If anything bad happens, just go to him. I promise, everything will work itself out eventually."

I could see little trails of water trickling down the sides of their faces, so I pulled both of them in for a bear hug and kissed them on the top of their foreheads.

"C'mon now, big girls don't cry," I whispered.

"But I don't want you to go," Yuzu sniffled.

"I'm only going away for a couple of days. But you have to promise me you'll listen to your sister, okay?"

She nodded a multitude of times before wiping her tears away. But just then, we heard the yells of something that sounded like the child of a pig and a bear.

We all turn around and see the all too familiar face of that kook. That was my cue to get going.

I gave the girls another quick hug before leaving but I stopped after a couple of steps and turned around to look at them one last time before I go and I take off my leather jacket and throw it to them so they would have something to remember me by if something 'unfortunate' came up. I start walking again, but I halted once I heard a 'Wait!'

I only turn my head around this time and see Yuzu with eyes as big as moon, just begging me not to go.

"What about you?" She asks, "Where are you going?"

"I told you not to worry about me," I said in almost a growl that made her back up in apprehension.

"And besides," I grinned,

"It's showtime."

And so, I guess that's when my 'life' really began. That was the last time I saw that old bat (and hopefully the last). Just the very thought of her makes my blood pressure rise. Crap, I forgot what I was talking about in the first place.

Anyways, that was a glimpse of my oh-so-wonderful past and that's all you're gonna get for a while. But as I was saying, I was on the subway and yadda-yadda-yadda.

It was then that I had realized I was dreaming because I saw a small puddle of drool on my shoulder. I heard the flapping of papers and looked straight ahead, seeing Tia with her eyebrows raised, but her mouth and nose were covered by her newspaper. A couple of seconds later, her amber eyes returned to the print and she acted like she did before (as in, like I didn't exist).

"I didn't know you talked in your sleep."

_And I didn't know how to respond to that_.

"Mind if I ask question?" She asked.

I shrugged in response.

"You kept on mentioning your mother. I know it's not my place to ask, but what happened to her?"

"…She got raped and killed."

At that moment, she put down her newspaper and took off her glasses and stared directly at me.

"I'm…sorry to hear that."

"Its fine, but I'd rather talk about another subject, if you don't mind," I sighed.

"…Why'd you bring the girl?"

"I think I have the right to make my own decisions, no?"

"And I never said you made a mistake in doing that. It just piques my curiosity as to why you're bringing a complete stranger into a place that's supposed to stay covert. What if she-"

"She won't," I grinned, "I trust her."

She (and this is only once on a blue moon) smiled.

"Well, if she is capable of gaining your trust, then I suppose there's no reason to doubt her in the first place, right?"

I chuckled and said, "My point exactly."

"So, what about the others?"

"What about them?"

"You know they're going to talk. Especially Princess her little faction of minions."

"She will most likely not care about them anyway. She is not their 'type', if that makes any sense. As for Princess…" I muttered, "If things get out-of-hand, I expect for Bear to be on top of things."

"You really believe the whole 'get it done yourself' deal, don't you?" She asked sarcastically.

"Imagine if you were me. What would _you _do in my shoes?"

She thought about it for a moment and then said, "I'd stop imagining. I couldn't even begin to imagine what your shoes go through each day."

"Heh, you don't even know the half of it."

Right then, the door opened only to reveal a sleepy Rukia. She walked like a zombie and right as she got halfway across the room, she threw my jacket in my face and took a seat next to Tia, who had put up her 'paper shield'.

"When are we finally gonna get to wherever the hell we going anyway?" Rukia whined.

"I'd say about five minutes," I said as I checked my watch.

"Bear's all set," Tia stated, which got the attention of the other female.

"Excuse me, but do you know _him_?" The raven-haired female asked as she jerked her thumb in my direction. She then turned to me and asked, "Do you know _her_?"

"Yes, I know him," Tia butted before I could reply, "But how do _you _know him?"

"Wha…that's what I'm supposed to be asking _you_!"

"I work at the same place as you do, darling. And _he_," She said as she quickly glanced at me, "Just stops by."

Rukia raises an eyebrow in skepticism and then looks at me.

"Is that true?"

"'Course it's true! Ms. Halibel never lies!"

A 'hmph' escaped from the older woman's mouth as she flipped another page and all of the sudden, we heard a 'ding-dong' from the speakers.

"The subway has now stopped. You have five minutes to depart until the subway start moving again."

"You heard the lady, Let's go," I said as I got up along with the two. I waited until Tia got ahead of us so I could talk to Rukia in private.

"Where are we going?" She whispered.

"Why, darling, don't you remember?" The blonde asked as she turned around.

"No…should I?"

"Yes, if you still want to keep your job."

"What are you talking about?"

"You honestly are clueless, aren't you?" She chuckled, "This is the way to _The Rendezvous_."

"But…I came in through a different way with an elevator and two macho guys and-"

"Ah, you came in through the north entrance," I pointed out.

"So, there's more than one way to get in?"

I nodded as we got off the train and watched it whiz right past us. Tia walked on ahead and made her way into the pitch-black area of the station (as in, there weren't any lights and you couldn't see a damned thing) and all we heard were the 'clicks' and 'clacks' of her heels going down some steps.

"Where's _she _going?"

"Same place as we are."

"I suggest you get going before Boss gets impatient. You know he's anxious to meet your friend," Tia's voice echoed.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. I start walking a couple of steps when I realize, nobody's following me.

I turn around and see Rukia just standing there, as stubborn and as clueless as ever.

"Don't you wanna go somewhere that isn't pitch-black and freezing?"

"Why'd you bring me here?"

"Pardon?"

"I asked why you brought me here. As far as I know, you could lead me down those dark stairs so I could be drugged and raped and be put in a pile of dead girls that never see the light of day again…or something like that."

"So, let me get this straight. You think that I'm some sex-crazed, bloodthirsty maniac that going around the city tracking young attractive women down so I can screw them and then kill them?"

"Well, when you put it like that…but I do think you're screwing me over."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"'Hun, I've kissed countless women'," She mocked.

"So I get out a bit."

"And you pursue a woman after only knowing her for a day and you just come out of nowhere and in the end, you'll just treat me like any other chick and…and…"

Her voice was starting to lessen as I started to walk closer and closer towards her until I finally lead her into a wall and she has no way out. She looks up at me with an expression that even to this day, I can't quite figure out. I didn't know what was going through that hard head of hers, but the more I think about it, the more I wanted to know.

My mouth stretches to reveal my teeth in a wide grin which makes the girl raise her eyebrows.

"And…what?" I ask.

"And…I just can't figure you out."

"Funny, same here," I chuckled, "So, I want to know, why'd you think I'd do you wrong?"

"Because men use a woman's emotions to their advantage and they toy with us until we're at our crumbling point and by then, we're rendered useless and they go off, finding another toy to play with. But in the end, they're all boys."

"But that doesn't answer my question. I asked why did you think _I _would do you wrong?"

"Because I don't trust you. As far as I know, this is just a hook-up and nothing more."

That just killed the mood and I backed off of her and walked down the stairs, which led to a set of double doors that opened up to an elevator in front of it. But in front of it were a card reader and a handprint scanner and to the side, is a keypad in which I enter in my code, put my hand on the pad and swipe the card, and the elevator opened its doors to us and I pushed the broken button all the way at the bottom. The doors close and neither of us had said a word since and I just wanted to get a few drinks so I could get my mind off of it.

Luckily, I got a call right then and it was none other than Bear himself.

"Where the hell are y'all? I swear to God, if you don't get your asses over here, Imma shoot someone. You know I _hate _waiting!"

"I'm sorry, I really am. And I hate to say this, but you're going to have to wait just a bit more because the elevator just stopped working.

"Huh? What are yo-"

And I hung up on his ass as I punch the 'Emergency' button to stop the elevator, which made both of us shake.

"What did you do that for?" Rukia hissed.

"Because we need to talk," I said as I stared right at her, which made her quickly glance away.

"Nonsense. Everything is fine," She muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest and started to make her way to the door to hit a button, but I blocked her path.

"'Nonsense' my ass. Don't you dare try to avoid the subject because you _know _I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," She mumbled as she turned her back towards me, which only fueled my anger, but then I finally figured it out.

"You're afraid, aren't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" She glowered at me, "You're just sputtering hot air."

"You _are _afraid! You're afraid that I'll screw you over, like you said!"

She said nothing. Instead, she just looked away from me. I could see that she was hurt, but surely, it wasn't because of what I said. It _couldn't _have been.

"Just understand that I'm under a lot of pressure now. Don't take it the wrong way."

Oh, I can understand. Saying that we were just a 'hook-up' is just some more of that nonsense you mentioned earlier. Makes perfect sense to me.

"Just tell me what's wrong. I won't get mad, I promise," I said as I held up a hand.

"John," She said as she walked around for a bit and then stopped, looking up at the ceiling as she exhaled a deep sigh, "I can't do this. I can't pretend I'm 'in love' with a person when I have only known them for a day and a half. I just can't."

I walk behind her and wrap my arms around her hips and pull her towards me. I placed my head on her shoulder and whispered, "Then don't pretend."

She looks up at me with her big green eyes and then looks back, only showing an expression of false happiness. I figured that if _I _can't get her to tell me what's wrong, then that was it.

_Boy, was I wrong._

Suddenly, the elevator started moving again but surprisingly, Rukia wasn't startled. She just stayed there with my hands crossed over her chest and didn't say a single thing. I was kinda hoping that Bear wouldn't get someone to 'fix' the elevator because I wanted to stay there a bit longer, but he could only wait for so long (five minutes).

The doors opened and I let go and walk on ahead, waiting a bit for Rukia to catch up. Right as I was about to open the next door, it opens for me and at it's edge, was an all too familiar girl.

"Well, well. If it ain't Strawberry!" She exclaimed as she gave me a hug. "And oh? Who's this little cutie?" She asked as she looked over my shoulder.

"That's Rukia," I said with a cough, "Nel, do you mind telling me where's Bear?"

"He's in his office discussing something with Ms. Halibel but she told me he was a bit on edge so I'd be careful if I were you."

"Will do."

"And tell your girl to come see me sometime. I want to show her 'round."

"Sure thing."

"Is that another 'friend' you see?" Rukia said as she came up from behind.

"Nope. She's one of my _close _friends, mind you. I've known her since I was a kid. And don't even think like that because she has a boyfriend, who, I should mention, is one of my best friends."

"Who's that?" She inquired.

"I think you met him last night. Do you remember Blueberry?"

"_He's _dating _her_?" She said in barely a whisper, but I didn't see what the big deal was.

"Uh…yeah?"

"I mean, I just never would've imagined them two having a 'thing'. He seemed so short-tempered and she's…not."

"Well, I'm happy for them," I said as I scratched the back of my head, "But enough of them. There's a certain someone who wants to meet you," I said as I grabbed her wrist and led her to were we, er, _she _needed to go. We walked across the entire place, and there weren't many people there. It was kinda like a ghost town compared to last night.

We got to an office door and I knew that Bear was eagerly waiting behind it, but before we could open it, we heard a glass being thrown against that door which made Rukia shriek in fright.

"Oh, shit, he's really mad," I muttered.

"John, I'm not going inside. There is a _lunatic _in there!"

"Don't worry, he's just be mad at me. And I need you to make me a promise."

"Hmm?" She asks.

"Promise me that you'll tell me what's wrong. I understand that you don't want to talk about it now but eventually and-"

"JOHNATHAN ANDREW COLLINS! GET YOUR WHITE ASS IN HERE!"

Before I knew it, the door opened and a hand grabbed the back of my collar and dragged me into the room and the last thing I saw was Rukia with her eyes wide open.

"Promise!" I yelled as the door closed and tumbled into the desk, which hit my head pretty hard.

"It's about time," Bear grumbled.

"Well, there were some things that couldn't be rushed just because you needed to me with me," I glared as I got up from the floor and took a seat across from the maple desk. To my right, I noticed Tia leaning against the wall with her foot crossed over the other and her arms over her chest with eyes occasionally glancing at me, and then back to her boss. She let out a nonchalant 'hmph' as she nodded at me, which meant she needed to talk to me later.

"I don't give a shit if your great granny died, I expect you to be here when I say so!"

"Who made you dictator of this joint?" I complained as I rest my elbow on the armchair and held my chin in the base of my palm.

"I did. Now, I called you here for a reason. Like I said, I wanted to meet your girl."

"Yeah, well, good luck with that because you already scared her half to death."

"Oh, the glass? That was just an 'accident'."

"An accident?"

"Well, I was trying to kill a wasp."

"_Really?_" I ask in a sarcastic tone.

"No. I totally did that on purpose and without a reason. But never mind that," He said as he spun in his chair, "Tell me more about this girl of yours."

"Instead of asking, why don't you ask her all of the questions you have instead of interrogating me?"

"Because that would be boring and dull," He said in a nonchalant tone. "Now, I'll ask an easy question. Why were you late?"

"Elevator broke," I shrugged.

"Or maybe you just pushed the emergency button so it would stop and then I would have to wake up from my nap and bitch at someone to fix the goddamn elevator and then my blood pressure rises and-"

"Boss," Tia butted in. He turned his head to the right, losing all previous tension and answered with a calm 'Yes?'

"May I remind you that the elevator hadn't been inspected in over a decade and it isn't much of a surprise if it halts every now and then. After all, you do only take the north entrance nowadays."

"Hmmm," He said as he spun to face her, "I suppose that's a possibility but let's not rule out the utter and sheer laziness of Strawberry boy over here," Bear grumbled as he gave me a slight glower but then shrugged it off.

"But now, it doesn't matter because that was two minutes ago and we don't need to be dwelling on the past," The blonde said as he tapped his fingers rhythmically on his desk. "So, when do I get to meet your little lady?"

"When I say so. I don't think she's ready to meet you yet."

"What are you, her father? She can decide for her own damn self."

"You do have a point there but what if-"

"What happens, happens. If I don't like her, it's tough shit but you'll just have to deal with it. Anyways, it's not like she'll be here for long."

"Don't get so cocky," I said with a mile-wide grin and cocked eyebrows, "Boss hired her."

"HE WHAAAAAT? Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Do you know what this means?"

"That we have a new bartender?" I guessed.

"It means that Princess is gonna attack her like a fuckin' pit bull! You remember what happened to the female dealer? That bitch was gone in less than 24 hours and I haven't heard a word of her since."

"You over-exaggerate stuff. That dealer was just intimidated by everybody and besides, she just got out of therapy for being anti-social."

"Well, whatever. Princess is going to assault her either way."

"Don't you worry about Princess, I'll talk to her personally."

"But enough about her. She gets enough notoriety as is. Tia, do you mind stepping out for a minute?"

"No problem," She said as she opened the door and closed it tightly. After a moment of silence, the blonde-haired man looked me dead in the eyes and said, "Tell me the truth. Now. About the girl."

"There really isn't anything to tell," I said as I scratched the back of my head.

"Well, tell me anyway."

"Jeez, you don't give up," I sighed, "Uhm, we met on the street, and no, not like that. She was with Pineapple-"

"Why?"

"They're best friends."

"Hmph…" He said, almost as if those words had triggered a flashback.

"So, as I was saying, me and Princess had some issues we had to discuss and we just so happened to see them there and-"

"Whoa, whoa whoa, you…were with your ex while your girlfriend was there?"

"First of all, I didn't know her at that time and second, she's not my girlfriend."

"Oh, so she's your friend?"

"Uh, kinda."

"Oh, I get it! So she's a hoe?"

"No," I growled.

"Whore?"

"No."

"Fucktoy?"

"Bear!"

"What? If she isn't your friend then I don't know what the hell she is to you! And you're not being helpful either!"

"She's a friend…with benefits. I suppose. I guess that's the simplest way of putting it."

"Ah. But what kind of benefits?"

"I'm so not having this discussion with you," I said as I got up from my seat.

"SIT YOUR ASS BACK DOWN!"

And so I did.

"You're not going anywhere. Not until I get some more answers outta you," He growled.

"I give up. What do you want from me?"

"Damn, you make it seem like I'm torturing you."

"Ha-ha."

"Well, if you want this over, you might as well answer them and-"

"I'm waiting."

"Fine. So, how long have y'all known each other?"

"Y'all?"

"Answer the question being asked and don't pick on my accent!"

"Heh, uhm, we met I think…yesterday?"

"Love at first sight?"

"Hell no."

"Well, onto the next one," Bear said as he cleared his throat, "Does Princess know about her?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"She didn't take it too well."

"How?"

I lifted up my shirt to show him the bandaged wound and I got an 'Ouch' in response and then lifted it back down.

"Has she met her in person?"

"Dunno. But if they do, I want you to separate them _immediately._ God knows what would come outta her mouth."

"Other than a dick?"

I had to restrain myself from bursting out like a complete idiot and cover my mouth, only letting a chuckle or two escape from my mouth.

"Oh come on, it's the truth!"

"No comment," I said as I let out another chuckle, which then turned into a flood of laughter.

"Ah, jeez, I haven't had a good laugh in a while," I said, exhaling a satisfied sigh with a slight grin.

"So, when are you gonna tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"Don't bullshit me, Strawberry."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Goddammit," He mumbled as he opened a drawer on his desk and got out a dark brown cigar and lit it up, "You're gonna be the death of me, I swear to God."

"And I'll be sure to say a couple of words at your funeral," I smirked.

"Gah, get out of here. I've had enough of you. Do me a favor and go get your girl."

"Gladly," I said as I got up and right as I was about to pass the door, I heard him call my name. I poke my head back in and say, "Yes?"

"Lemma ask one more question."

"Shoot."

"Did you screw her yet?"

I flipped him off as I slammed the door and I heard a sea of snorts and his boisterous mirth behind me. I look around and see that club has at least doubled in size and the crowdedness made it hard for me to find Rukia but all of the sudden, I hear her laughter and I follow it, which led me to a table near the side of the bar and I saw her with a female I recognized.

She was rather short and had fair girl had short, lime green hair that hovered right over her shoulders and she had a light blue miniskirt with a horde of white ruffles underneath and hooked to its sides were solid black suspenders that she fidgeted with. On top of the frilly skirt was a plain white tee that had a sketch of the Eiffel tower in its center. She was giggling and laughing with the other girl and she was moving around so much that her sunglasses fell off the top of her head.

I reach down to get the sky blue frames and I notice that on the inside there was writing in a black cursive ink that read, 'With love,' and there was another word written after that, but the girl snatched them before I could finish reading.

"I know my sunglasses are pretty and all," She smirked, "But that's no reason for you to be ogling them for five minutes."

"I was just admiring their beauty," I smiled.

"Well, where have you been all this time? It's impolite to keep guests waiting you know?" Another voice said.

I turn around and see a woman with long dirty blonde hair that was up in a ponytail. She walked over and gave me a tight hug while she rubbed my back and gave it a few pats.

"Ah, I missed my little Strawberry! I haven't seen you in _forever_!" She squealed as she let go.

"Come, let's take a seat," I said as I motioned to a vacant table. She took the seat across from me and undid her ponytail and her hair nearly fell to her elbows and crossed her arms as she adjusted her watch.

"So, where'd you go anyway?" I ask.

"Oh, you know, just out and about. I went with Joker and a few of his friends. We had a fun time," She grinned.

"Oh, I bet you did. I bet you had lots and lots of _fun_," I winked, but she didn't get it. It took her a minute or so before it finally clicked in her brain.

"You jerk!" She hissed as she hit my back, "It's nothing like that!"

"Mhmm, whatever you say, Essence."

"But anyways, on my trip, I met up with Tia and Bear along the way on the east coast."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. They were all the way down in North Carolina and we stayed at Bear's beach house for a couple of days and then I went to Cali to visit my family and then I came home."

"Well, that sounded fun."

"Ohmigod, it was. You should've been there!"

"I was busy this summer," I said nonchalantly.

"Ah, what were you doing?"

"Now, that's classified," I grinned, "Although, it is the time of the year again for Boss' jobs to start back up again. Are you gonna take on any?"

"Hell no. I figured I'd just stick with my day job and any offers from Bear if he has any."

"Speaking of jobs," She said, tapping her fingers together, "Joker didn't get any job offers, did he?"

I didn't want to upset her by telling her the truth, but lying to her would only make things worse. So, I thought of another way and got out my phone and place it in her palm.

"Why don't you call and ask him yourself?"

Essence shook her head and gave the phone back to me.

"I would want him to tell me in person," She said, biting her bottom lip. I pat her on the shoulder to reassure her that everything would be alright, but she still looked a bit sad, despite my attempt to cheer her up. But, she shook it off, regardless of her uneasiness.

"I guess it'll have to wait," She sighed, "I'll be at the bar if you need me.

And so she left. But at that moment, I found out that I was all by myself and that I had managed to lose Rukia _again_. I was tired of playing hide-and-seek and the fact that Bear had a strong urge to meet the girl only made me more nervous. I had no options and so I went in the direction of the office and right as I was about to turn the handle to the door, a hand grabbed me on my wrist and stopped me. I glare up and realize that it was Tia who prevented me from going into the room.

"Where are you going off in such a hurry?" She inquired.

"I dunno what that crazy psychopath is doing to her in there. I have to-"

"Quit being such a hero," She hissed as she pushed me to the floor and stepped on my chest with her stilettos.

"There's no reason to make a scene," She said as she lowered her eyes and bent down with an arm slung over the edge of her knee.

"What if he tells her-"

"That you're hiding secrets from her? That you might be seeing another woman? That you're leading her into a web of lies that'll cause her to-"

"That's enough," I glared. She didn't say anything, but her face didn't falter either. She quickly took her heel off my chest and let out a sigh.

"I really wonder what's going on in that skull of yours," Tia mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. I got up and dusted the dirt off of my legs and said, "You aren't the only lost one here."

"But neither of us are as lost as the girl. I pity her…and you."

"Why" I ask as I leaned against the wall.

"She has no idea what she's getting into and you dragged her into this mess. I worry if she's strong enough to handle it. However, my question for you would be how long would it take before you crack like an egg and burn on the frying pan?"

"I won't crack because," I paused, waiting for her to direct her attention at me, "_Boss _will tell her."

Her amber eyes widened as her mouth slightly dropped and boy, I wished I took a picture because that face was _priceless_.

"You've got to be joking."

"For once, I'm not. So, what I don't tell her won't hurt her. So, she can't blame me for not saying what shouldn't be said."

"I dunno. It sounds kinda risky," She mumbled as she stood next to me.

"Trust me, everything will work itself out, so stop being such a worrywart," I patted her shoulder.

"But how will you pull it off?"

"Hey, hey, a magician never tells his secrets," I grinned.

"And I'll suppose you'll be wanting to get into the room, no?"

"And if I do?"

"You can't get in. It's locked. And if you even try to open it, Bear won't hesitate to tell a secret or two to your girl."

"That filthy bastard," I growled.

"But," She said as she rummaged through her coat pocket and pulled out a few small black devices that kinda of looked like headphones, "I have a magic trick of my own," She smirked.

"What are they?" I ask as I picked one up and examined it.

"Portable speakers. I hooked them up to a secret microphone in Bear's office."

"Uh, why?"

"Why not?"

"Fair enough. So, uh, where do I put these?"

"Up your ass," She said as she put them in her ears.

"You don't have to be a bitch about it," I mumbled as I did the same.

"Shhh…it's picking up the frequency. Be quiet."

The sound of static came on, followed by a long, monotonous 'beep'. Then, we heard mumbling that started to get louder and louder until we could hear it clearly.

"So, I take it John's been good to you?" A recognizable voice asked.

My lip curls in agitation and right as I was about to yell, I get pinched by the female next to me.

"If you don't hush, they'll hear us," She hissed.

"That's fine with me because I'll beat his ass before he gets a chance to say anything."

"Listen. I have known this guy long enough to know when he's up to something and trust me, this isn't one of those times. He, in his own little way, is merely just getting to know her. He has his own way of doing stuff like that."

I let out a 'tch' as I lit up a cigarette and listened to the conversation.

"Uh…" Rukia said.

"Oh, I apologize. It isn't my place to ask," Bear responded.

"Damn right it isn't his place," I growled, but I only got shh'd at by Tia.

"I mean, I don't know what _you _think of me and him, but I can guarantee they're completely different."

"Well, lemme ask another question. Are you in a serious relationship with Strawberry?"

"To be honest, I'm not so sure-"

"Not sure about what?"

"Well, I'm really sure if me and him are on the same page, you know? I don't wanna chance anything, you know?"

"I see where you're coming from, but I want to know…how do _you _feel about him?"

There was a dead silence, but all I could do was stay quiet and listen.

"I can't answer that question at this time. I just can't."

"Very well. Well, ," He said, followed by the sound of a chair moving, "It was a pleasure to met you and I hope you enjoy working over here."

"It was nice to meet you too."

I took out the earphones and gave them back to Tia and she carefully tucked them away back into her pocket.

"Heard enough?" She asks.

"Actually, it's the opposite. I just realized that I know nothing about her."

"Now I guess you can see how it is for her."

"I suppose so."

All of the sudden, I felt my phone go off when I pulled it out, my mouth dropped once I read the screen.

From: Princess

Date Received: September 24th, 2009

Time Received: 2:25

Message:

You can't keep this up for long, darling. You know that very well. See me in the main office. I have something for you.

I let out a deep sigh as I made my way for the double doors at the end. I opened them and found myself in lobby, being greeted by a blonde female worker that was definitely barking up the wrong tree.

"Hello there, are you lost?" She asked as she quickly checked me out and licked her lips.

"No. Has a woman with long orange hair walked into the main office?"

"Uh, as a matter of fact, there _was _a female that fits that description. Did she have really big boobs?"

I shrugged.

"In that case, yes, she passed by. But she had verification. May I see yours?"

"Uh, sure," I said as I dig in my pockets for my wallet.

"So, how often do you come here, big boy?"

I wanted to puke the instead I heard that.

"Honey, listen, I'm not intere-"

And right then, she yanked my collar and slammed her lips onto mine, but I tried to move my face the opposite way and pushed her away so I could get some distance between us. She started chuckling and all of a sudden, she started stripping and I put my hands over my face in objection.

"Look lady, you need some help and-"

"Oh shut up, Strawberry. It's me."

My eyes grew wide at the sound of the voice, but I refused to believe it was who I thought it was.

She unbuttoned both her burgundy jacket and skirt, only to show a white sweater dress underneath. Then, she took off her cap and bent over, unclipping _something _in her hair and when she flipped her hair back; the blonde hair fell off and revealed her real, orange mane.

"You always have to make an entrance, don't you?" I ask.

"_Someone _isn't happy to see me," She pouted.

"Princess, you-"

"Come with me," She said as she grabbed my wrist and led me to the door behind the counter and up the sets of stairs to the 'Main Office'.

Once we got to the room, I shook off her hand.

"So, tell me," She says as she takes a seat in the big office chair behind the desk, "How's that cut of yours?"

"You find it entertaining to see me in pain, don't you?"

The woman cackled with glee and said, "You know me so well, 'John'," She cracked up even more.

"You know about that?" I ask with a glare.

"Why, of course dear. What? You really didn't expect that _everyone _would keep it a secret. Especially from your new whore."

"Princess, what-"

"I'm pretty sure nobody can hear us up here. You can relax."

I sighed and said, "Orihime, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, first I came to get a couple of stuff for work tonight but then I got this package for you so I thought I'd be nice and deliver it for you," She said as she dug in her purse that looked like it was made from ostrich feathers.

"And said package would be?" I ask with a hint of curiosity.

"A letter. From Dragon," She says, handing me a slightly bent beige letter.

"He told me not to read it so I dunno what it says," She shrugged.

I tuck it in my coat pocket and said, "How did you get it?"

"Because I visited him in the hospital, duh!"

"How do I know this isn't forged? After all, this could just be another one of your scams to get my money. But never mind that, did you hear what happened to his sister?"

She looked away as if she didn't hear anything.

"Tell me, how was the facility? Because I'd hate to see him in a crappy-ass hospital. Oh, and what about the doctor? Did they say anything about when they might let him out?"

Nothing.

"Tell me, did you _really _go visit him? Or are you lying? No, wait, that can't be right because one wouldn't _dare _to lie to the one who saved them from-"

"Don't say it!" She shrieked as she covered her ears.

"Tell me why you lied!" I roared.

"Because it was the only way!" Orihime yelled back as tears started to fall down the sides of her face, "It was the only damn way!"

"That doesn't answer my question!"

Three knocks rapped on the door, followed by a male voice.

"Yo, Strawberry? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be out in a sec."

"Kay, I'll be in the lobby."

Once the sound of footsteps could no longer be heard, I went over to the female that was all curled up in that tiny chair and I put both of my hands on the sides of the chair, leaving her no way to get out. There was less than a foot of space between us and I told tell she was nervous as hell just by glancing at her. Her whole body was trembling as if she had just gone through an earthquake.

"I'll ask you one more time," I said, looking her directly in the eyes, "Why'd you lie?"

"Because…I was afraid," She admitted.

"Of what?"

"Of what'd you say. Our relationship is so strained that," She sighed, "We don't even know each other like we used to. Now, we almost consider each other as an enemy."

"Well, of course, when you're always lying to me."

"But that was the past," She said, putting a hand on the side of my face, "We've learned from our mistakes. We need to forgive and forget," She mumbled.

I place my hand on the one that was on my face and said, "You think you can fool me again?"

She looked at me with a confused look and then shook her head.

"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. That's irrelevant. What matters are the choices you make. But you don't need me to tell you that, do you?"

"I honestly wonder how we got like this," I said as I bent down and ran my thumb over her long, delicate fingers before letting go of it. At that point, I had blown off some steam and something in me wanted Orihime back, but I knew it was only going to end like it always did.

"I've got something to say."

"Hmm?"

"I really do miss you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," I muttered as I fidgeted with her hands nervously, since I knew where this conversation was going.

"So…do you miss _me_?" She asked sheepishly.

This was the moment of truth and I knew she wasn't going to like the words that were gonna come out of my mouth.

"As a friend, yeah."

She jerked her hands from mine and slapped me across the face and I felt her long nails digging into the skin of my neck.

"Say that one more time," She hissed, "And see what happens."

"Actually, I take that back," I said, seeing her wear a satisfied grin…but not for long.

"What I meant to say," I said as I stood up, "I missed you as my fucktoy."

"You bastard." She hissed as she tries to claw at my chest where my wound was, but I grabbed her wrist and stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss me now?" I ask as I flashed my teeth, seeing that she had totally and utterly lost her focus.

"Glad to know I'm not the only insane one here," She chuckled.

"Yeah, it's funny how we're both fucked up, ha-ha," I rumbled as scratched the side of my face.

"You know," She said, looking down at the floor, "There's something else I've been itching to say."

"Well, you'll never get it off your chest if you keep beating around the bush."

"Look," Orihime sighed, "No matter how many times we fight or how long we don't talk to each other, I still have feelings for you. Yes, I know you moved on, but that just won't click in my mind. I-"

And I kissed her so she would stop talking. I didn't want to hear any more. It had taken me months to get over her and I sure as hell wasn't going to take her back, if that was what she was getting at.

I pulled away and looked at her, seeing that her cheeks had flushed a rosy shade. I could tell she was surprised by my move, but I knew that she secretly liked it.

"Sorry for interrupting," I grinned, flashing all of my teeth.

"I-Its' fine," She muttered.

"What's wrong _now_?"

"I think…someone was listening."

As soon as she said that, we heard heavy footsteps pound away from us and I made no hesitation to go see who it was. I got up from the chair and opened the door, but I felt a light tug stop me…just like 9 years ago.

I turn back and see her worried face, but what I really saw was Yuzu's face that day.

"Don't go," She pleaded, "For all we know, that could be some assassin or something!"

"Don't worry, I'm just going to see who that was, that's all," I said as I closed the door, but she stopped it with her foot and looked at me with the same expression.

"I'm not letting you go-"

"Hey, hey, hey," I said as I put a finger on her lips, "What'd I say?"

"That doesn't matter. What if you get hurt?"

"You kiddin' me, right?"

She only responded with a raised eyebrow.

"C'mon! I'm Strawberry, man! They'd have to be dumb as hell to mess with me," I grin as I take my head out of the doorway and make my way down the stairs, but I heard light footsteps follow me, seeing that it was the one and only Princess at the edge of the stairs and if I didn't something, she'd follow me around like a newborn pup.

"Strawberry?"

"Hmm?"

"…Promise me that you won't get hurt. For me."

"Don't you worry about me. You just need to keep two words in mind and everything will be alright."

"And just what are they?"

"It's showtime."

"I told you this journal wasn't junk," Shinji muttered.

"Well, for once, you're right."

He chuckled and then closed the notebook and set it to the side on the desk. Something went off in the blonde's mind, which instantly made him smirk.

"And you know what this means," He said as he took put on his sunglass and put them on the top of his head.

"No...what _does _it mean?" The blonde turned around as she started packing up.

"It means I'm going to take you out on a date, whether you like it or not. And you _will _like it because no can resist this," He said, motioning to himself.

"Except for me," Rangiku giggled.

"And you're lying."

"Am not," She giggled even more as she took a seat on the floor to pick up her stuff.

"So why are you laughing?"

"Because I can," Rangiku grinned as she hid her face from the curious male.

"Really?" He asked as he bent down and peeked so he could get a look at her face, "I think it's because you're lying and you _do _want to go on that date with yours truly."

"Well, I'm still not entirely cool with the whole 'co-workers dating thing'."

"Don't think of it as a 'thing', think of it as a chance to really get to know your working partner."

"I guess there's nothing against that," She smiled.

"Good. Then it's settled. I'll pick you up around…seven-ish?" He asks, as he gets his suitcase and stops at the door.

"Sounds good. But you're forgetting something."

"Hmm?" Shinji poked his head back in the doorway.

"We need to read the rest of this journal," She said, picking it up from the desk, "Despite it being 'evidence' and all, it's quite interesting learning a bit about Strawberry, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to lose our one and only piece of evidence," He said as he closed the door. Rangiku was all by herself and quickly got her stuff and right as she was about to close her suitcase, she looked back at the navy blue notebook and tucked it in her coat pocket.

"No, not evidence," The blonde muttered.

"Hope."


	4. Worth Fighting For

Alright now, I'll have to explain a few things before you read this chapter. Now, remember, this fanfic is based off of _my _story, not the Bleach storyline. Hence the 'AU' content. So, that explain why Tia Halibel and Yoruichi Shihoin are sisters. And don't worry, I'll introduce other characters…_later._

Secondly, you may be wondering, 'Well, why da fuqz did Rukia call the doctor Kaien? Is she high?"

I can't go into detail, but in short, she was just amazed by how similar they looked, but don't you worry, both of them will make an appearance _real _soon ;D

Third, yes, Grimm is a bit off, no? But don't worry, his true self will be revealed.

Fourth, translations:

*bout : penis (such a funny word, no?)

* Alors, vous êtes les conduisant dans un piège, êtes-vous? : So, you're leading them into a trap, are you?

* * *

So, my visit to _The Rendezvous _wasn't as bad as expected (aside from Bear interrogating me). I mingled with a few people and I was having so much fun, I had completely forgotten about John. It wasn't until one of the girls brought him up that I noticed he was missing.

We (Me, Essence, Cherry, and Spice) were all hanging out on the couch and gossiping about people like little old grannies and having a good time.

"Bear actually asked you about you and Strawberry?" Cherry gaped with eyes wide open.

"Mhmm. To tell you the truth, I was scared," I admitted sheepishly.

"Hun," Spice said as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Even the Devil himself would piss his pants if he met that crazy-ass motherfucker. There ain't a single thing to be ashamed of."

"You and Strawberry are probably the only ones to stand up to him," Essence chuckled.

"I reckon you're right, but who knows? Maybe this one'll too," The dark-skinned woman said as she pointed her chin in my direction.

"That's why you got your name, right?" Cherry asked as she messed with her ivy green mane.

"Who knows? I didn't choose it, but I ain't complainin'."

"But who _did _choose it?" I ask.

"Boss," They all say unanimously.

"Y'know," Spice said as she waved her finger, "I think he gave me that name because of my little 'incident' with Bear. Oh lord, makes me feel foolish just by thinkin' 'bout it."

"What happened?" Essence inquired.

"Well, it was my first day here and I had just stumbled by that old coot, and almost instantly, I threatened him."

"Why?"

"Child, hush, I'm trying to recolleculate my thoughts," The black woman grumbled as she messed with her violet hair. "Now, as I was saying, he gave me such a nasty attitude that I threatened either to choke him with my scarf or slap him into a parallel universe and right as I was about to make a move…" She paused, seeing all of us were at the edge of our seats. "Tia came and stopped me. It's a funny thing, I thought I'd never see my sister after we got separated and here she is, standing in front of me and glaring at me with her cold, green eyes."

"Whoa, Tia's your sister?" I asked in disbelief.

"It's a small world, ain't it, child?" Spice grinned.

"So, what happened next?"

"Well, Bear gave us some time to catch up, but it felt so awkward. I hadn't seen her in over a decade, and I just didn't know what to say. I didn't know whether to break on down like a rickety old train or to be mad as the Hatter himself. But she just walked with me and didn't say a single word. Not…a single…word."

"Awh, I'm sorry, Spice," Essence mumbled as she gave the woman a hug.

"Surely you two have talked since then?" Cherry asked with the upmost seriousness.

"I mean, we have, but whenever I tried asking about her past, she'd always say the same thing. 'Instead of lingering in the past, why don't you try to be a little smart and face what's right in front of you'. She's completely changed. I dunno what the hell happened to her, but it changed my sister for the worse. It's like I'm talking to a complete stranger," Spice sighed as she glanced at her watch, and her eyes cracked wide open at the time.

"Oh my, I'm going to be late!" She grumbled as she got her stuff and gave each of us a slight hug but when she came to me, she said, "It was nice meeting you, Rukia. And don't worry about Boss, he'll like you."

"But, wait! How do you know?"

"He and I go way back. He'll like you for sure," She grinned before walking off. The thought of meeting this man who seemed 'supreme' by these peoples' definition only made me anxious and started to make me worry even more.

"Darling," Cherry said as she took a seat next to me and grabbed my hands that were fidgeting with my hair. "You need to relax. You've been a nervous wreck ever since we mentioned Boss. Trust me, he isn't as bad as you think. He's a nice fella."

"But what if I get fired? How on Earth am I gonna pay for my brother's surgery an-and I still have to pay for my apartment which-"

"Shh…." Was all she said as I started to cry, and she pulled me in so that my sobs couldn't be heard by everybody over there.

"Awh, honey," The woman said in pity as she cradled the back of my head. I didn't know if the others were still there, because it was as quiet as the dead. The only thing I heard were my sobs and the soft mumbling of the people conversing at the other end.

Suddenly, the woman's phone went off and she broke away, holding up a finger while she flipped open her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe. I've got some bad news."

"Aw, jeez, what _perfect _timing," She grumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…" She looked at me, and I shook my head and mouthed 'Don't worry' but she didn't buy it. "I'm sorry but I can't make it tonight, hun."  
"Why not?"

"Because I'm having a couple of friends spend the night and we've planned this for _forever_," Cherry said as she winked at me.

"Are they more important than me?"

"Don't you dare go there. I'm sure whatever you have to tell me can wait 'til tomorrow."

"That's the thing. I might not be _able _to."

"Then tell me now."

"But…"

"But?"

"I'd want to tell you in person."

"…Is it _that _serious, Grimmjow?"

I heard the man on the line let out a deep sigh and then answer with a 'Yeah'. I noticed at that moment that goosebumps had started to form on her arms and that she was biting down on her bottom lip.

"Why don't you come by my apartment later and we'll talk about it."

"Sure thing. Love you."

"Love you too," She said as she hung up and tucked a piece of her green hair behind her ear.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"Oh, that? Don't worry about it, it's just-"

"No, I mean what's this about me coming to spend the night? I never agreed to anything!"

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" She pouted.

"But I-"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I-"

"We can tell you more about Boss," She teased. Damn her. That was my weakness and she knew it.

"…Maybe I could think it over," I said as I turned my back and crossed my arms, but that didn't stop her from giving me a quick hug.

"I can't wait for you to meet the others!" She squealed.

"Others?"

"Yeah! You don't think it's just me and Spice and Essence out here, do ya? But it'll be fun, I promise!"

"So, who's going anyway?"

"Well, I have to text a few people to see if they can-"

"Whoa, whoa whoa. You mean to tell me that you just completely made this up this moment?"

"Uh, pretty much, yeah."

"So, you lied to your boyfriend so that you didn't have to hear the 'bad news'?"

She looked down at the floor with guilt and I felt a pang tap my heart for asking such a bold question.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"No, you're completely right. It's my fault. I _am _trying to avoid the bad news."

"But…why?"

"Rukia, darling," She said as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "As time passes, you'll come to realize that _The Rendezvous _and the people in it all have dirty little secrets. From drug addictions to secret affairs, we have them all."

"But that doesn't answer my question."

She sighed and said, "I can't handle pressure. Especially if it involves Grimm. I'll tell you more about it when you come over, okay?"

I nod.

"Now," She said, looking around. "If anyone asks, you found the information I'm about to tell you by yourself, okay?"

I nod once more.

"I'm sure you have lots of questions right?"

"Yeah…"

"So, let's hear it."

"Okay…uhm…when is it 'okay' to call someone by their Christian name?"

"Usually, never; because Boss is very, er, _strait-laced _when it comes to our aliases. But I can see where he's coming from, safety and all. However, there are exceptions," She smirked. "One of them being if Boss isn't in the room, which'd be pretty obvious."

"But-"

"Another is when there aren't any customers, patrons, or guests."

"Sounds simple enough, but how do you know what to call someone?"

"I get word from the grapevine."

"Ah. But when does Boss pick out the names?"

"Almost the second that person 'meets' with him."

"So, how'd you get 'Cherry'?"

"I think it's because of my birthmark. See?" She said as she pointed to the smooth red mark across the bridge of her nose which was so smooth, it looked like it was painted on.

"How…simple."

"That's just how he is," She giggled. "So, let's hear yours."

"Uh…what?"

"Your alias?"

"Uh…I'm nameless at the moment."

"_What_? That's crazy! Didn't Boss give you one?"

"Uh, I haven't met him yet, remember?"

"Well, how long as it been since you set foot in this place?"

"Almost a day. I think. I came here last night."

"So, you didn't see him at _all_?"

"Nope. But, people have told me he watched me last night and that I'm hired to be the next bartender."

"Oh-ho-ho, he likes you," Cherry chuckled as she waved her finger at me. "You're his favorite already."

"But I haven't even met him! How can he like me?"

"You see, Boss views things from afar."

"Uh, why?"

"I'm sure myself, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it's because he seeing people's _true _nature instead of what they pretend to be. It also makes things run a bit smoother if the head honcho's not around."

"But…why would people pretend?"

"Darling, he has money, power, and the balls to kill anyone without second thoughts. That's why."

"Why would he kill? And power? Over what?"

"He can kill because he has power and he has power because he can kill. It's all logic, really."

"Sounds like a jolly ol' fellow," I grumble.

"Aw, he's not so bad. He's quite the flirt really," The woman giggled.

"Oh, so, he's a horny mafia version of Donald Trump, is that right?"

"No, no, no! Not at all! He's a real nice guy, honestly. And he's not old! He's quite young to be our Boss. Actually, I think I'm older than him."

"So, I assume you met him?"

"Sweetie, I've known him before he became 'Boss'. I've known him since he was a teenager. Actually, he's the one who introduced me to Grimmjow," She smiled.

"So, what's he like?"

"If I tell you, then I'm going to ruin the surprise, silly! After all, what fun is it if you meet someone new but know everything about them?"

"You do have a point but I never know when or where I'm going to meet him and-"

"And we gotta go," A voice rumbled from behind us.

Me and Cherry turn around and see that it's no other than the redhead himself, but he sure didn't seem happy by the looks of it.

"Renji? What are you-"

"No time," Was all he muttered as he swooped me up and threw me over his shoulder while he made his way for the exit.

"Pineapple!" The ivy-haired woman called.

"Don't worry about it, Cherry, she'll be there in time for your little 'sleepover'," He said.

"Alright then," Cherry grinned as she waved goodbye.

"What the hell, Cherry?" I exclaimed as the doors we passed closed her and the other people out.

"Ren-ji! Lemme go!" I hissed as I pounded on his back. "I refuse to be man-handled!"

"Hold on, Rukia, and just bear with me for a few-"

"No! I have to take a whiz and the fact that your shoulder keeps on hitting my bladder is not helping!"

"Well, lemme fix that," The man mumbled as he grabbed my waist with both hands and maneuvered them so that he was cradling me against his chest, but I still felt like I was going to fall off, so I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Better now?" He asked as he flashed a grin at me.

"…Maybe."

"Glad to hear it."

"Uh…Renji?"

"Hmm?"

"How on Earth did you know where I was?"

His face slightly formed a scowl as he set me down, which made me a bit uncomfortable.

"Word gets around. Now, let me ask _you _a question," He said as he made his way into the elevator and hit a button. "How did you get down here in the first place?"

"Well, I figured if I'm going to be working here, I might as well see what happens before-"

"I didn't ask why," Renji said in almost a growl. "I asked _how_."

"Oh, that," I waved my hand. "Why does one need to know such _bor-ing _details?"

"Stop playing games with me, Rukia."

I waited a moment or two so he would cool off, but from what, I didn't know.

"I came here with Strawberry."

"Rukia, Rukia, Rukia," Renji chanted as he circled around the elevator while rubbing his temples. "Strawberry's a…handful that I don't think you can quite handle. Even if you're just chilling with him, he'll drag you into trouble. I mean, I'm not saying he's a bad person or anything. Hell no. The guy's one of my close friends. It's just that-"

"You don't want me 'associating' with him, correct?"

He nodded. I noticed that there was a sight frown on his face, but I quickly shrugged it off.

"But you know," I said as the elevator door dinged open and we walked into the vacant parking lot with his black Hummer parked within a couple of feet, "You have absolutely no right to tell me who I can and can't hang out with."

"I'm your best friend! Don't you think my opinion should count for _something_?"

"Normally, yes, but-"

"But nothing! I'm telling you, you're not ready to mess with these kind of people! Sure, you may think it's nothing if you just chill with him a couple of times, but then you will start to see him more and more and then, you're gonna get so attached that when he finally-"

"Stop."

He looks at me, but I avoid his gaze.

"Listen to me. I have known this man for less than 24 hours. He and I are not dating, or having a 'thing' or any of that kind of stuff! He isn't my crush, or love interest, or boyfriend! He's just someone I met on the street…that's all."

He finally stopped glaring at me and then stared right into my eyes, and said, "I have a hunch that you're not telling whole truth. I can't quite put my finger on it."

I put my hand on his face and push him away as I made my way to the car with him close behind.

"What was that for?" He grumbled as he turned on the engine.

"You're not some kind of psychic, so don't pretend to act like one."

"No need to get violent," He grumbled as he shifted to reverse. I stared out my window and glanced at the dingy elevator, which made me recall the memories of last night, which made me think. First, Renji invited me into this whole new world and leaves me without a shred of knowledge whatsoever and now he just wants to cut out a huge chunk of that out? What was behind the toothy grin of that Strawberry that made him 'bad news'? I only got more frustrated the more I thought about it.

"I'm not a child," I said.

"Hmm?" The redhead asked as he made a turn.

"You heard me. I said I'm not a child…so don't tell me what to do."

"Rukia, not now. I'm driving in one of New York's busiest streets, for crissakes!"

"Fine, we'll talk about it later. But uh, where are we going anyway?"

"My house. I'm guessing you didn't have lunch?"

My stomach growled at the mention of food, which pretty much answered his question.

"I thought so. Fortunately, we've just arrived," Renji said as he parked in the vacant lot and changed gears and while we got out and walked all the way up to his apartment, I noticed that he was avoiding the 'Strawberry' topic and blabbed about his rugby match instead.

"I thought you had to go to your 'Weight Watchers' meeting," I glared.

"Well, I lied," He chuckled nervously as he unlocked the door and when we walked in, there was an unfamiliar face I didn't recognize.

It belonged to a man with short silver hair on the top of his head with matching piercing eyes. They quickly took a quick glance at me, up and down and turn back to the ebony-haired man.

I noticed that on his arm, there were three strange tattoos, one on top of another. They were like bands, but they had a weird arrow that spiraled upwards. But that wasn't the only thing that caught my attention.

My eyes caught sight of the Corona Light in his hand, and figured, he must be a little intoxicated if he was drinking with Shuhei, who (surely, but slowly) realized Renji and I had walked in.

"Eh? Rookeyah? Whatchu doin' hurr?" The jet-black haired man slurred.

"So, _you're _the famous Rukia everybody's been yappin' about," The stranger said as he made his way towards me and offered a hand.

"Well, I dunno about 'famous', but I'm definitely Rukia," I giggled as I shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you…?"

"Caleb. And the pleasure's all mine," He said, flashing his teeth.

"Alright, Romeo, take it somewhere else," Renji said as he pushed Caleb out of the way as he headed for the kitchen. I followed him and sat up on the counter and watched him make a sub.

"So, Rukia," Caleb said, taking a swig of his beer, "How'd you fall all the way to TR all by yourself today?"

"Eeee-zy," Shuhei hiccupped, "Stlaaaaaawburry took hur."

"I shoulda figured. He's onto ya like a hook in a fish's mouth, that's for sure," He chuckled.

"Strawberry has nothing to do with this," The redhead growled as he scavenged for food in the pantry.

"Yeah, _right_," Caleb scoffed sarcastically as he licked his lip ring. "Somebody sure is a bitch today. What happened? Did you lose your bet to Shu?"

"Not yeeeeet," The drunk giggled in glee.

"I really don't give a fuck about the bet right now," Renji mumbled as he invaded his fridge and then returned with a fourth back.

"Somebody gives up easily," Shuhei teased.

The redhead only sighed as he started to make his sandwich and I couldn't stand to see him like this for one more second.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, but he just ignored me as he focused on completing his deli.

"Hey, Rukia?" He said in a quiet tone as he looked up.

"Yeah?"

"If you had a secret…no matter how crazy or ludicrous it might be," He said, eyeing down at the ground. "You'd tell me, right?"

"Well, it all depends. On a scale from one to five-"

"Ten."

"I don't even think I _have _a secret that big," I mumble as I think for a moment. "Well, if it's that serious, I might wait for a while until I tell you, or pretty much _anybody_. But you know that you would be the first person I would tell, but why are you asking? I thought you knew this."

He shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about some things," Were the words he muttered as he walked to the balcony.

"Wait! What about your sandwich?"

"I lost my appetite."

"Can I have it?" Caleb hollered.

"Ohhhh nnahhh yew dond," Shuhei hissed as he tackled the grey-haired man and crawled towards the sandwich, which I grab just in time before the two of them try to dive for it.

"Bish, whutchuuu doin?" He asked.

"It's _mine. _Now, shoo," I grumbled as I motioned him away.

"Fat ass," He barely said as he plopped down on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm _so _overweight. Hey! Why don't you suggest me to that Weight Watcher group of yours, Shuhei? You know, the meeting you practically ran to this morning?" I ask with an evil grin.

"Shuddap."

Caleb let out a light chuckle as he hops up and takes a seat next to me. I break my sandwich in half and offer him a piece, in which he happily takes.

"Thanks," He mumbled in between bites.

"No prob," I said as I began working on my piece.

"So, I gotta ask," Caleb said as he scratched the back of his neck. "What's with Renji?"

"Who knows?" I shrug.

"I think you do."

I exhaled a deep sigh through my nostrils since I knew where the conversation was headed.

"I mean, you don't have to answer-"

"Renji doesn't want me hanging out with Strawberry."

"He can't tell you what to do. He isn't your father."

"That's what I'm saying! I mean, sure, I might not know everything about Strawberry and what's going on, being as I am supposed to 'find out for myself' but I still haven't met with Boss yet an-"

"You haven't me-"

"Lemme finish! And to add to the confusion that I've been a ticking time bomb ever since last night because I don't know what in the world is going on and the only thing I can do is wait until the answers to my questions come to me and-"

"That is some of the most absurd shit I have heard in my whole life. 'Wait until the answers come to me', she says. Ha! You're ain't gonna get anywhere if you keep thinking like that. 'Since we can't say anything, you can't know' is what they say, right? To hell with that, I say! You can't just wait around sipping your tea while the hand on the clock keeps ticking away! See, you could've spent that minute getting down to the bottom of this instead of stuffing your face. Every second you spend waiting around is another you could've used to find your answers! You have to make a choice everyday for what you choose to sacrifice for another. In other words, an opportunity cost. And nobody's gonna just give you what you're looking for out of the blue! You have to find them _yourself_, because, in the end, you're the only one looking for them."

Despite only knowing this guy for a couple of minutes, it felt as if it was my older brother telling me those words of wisdom. They had touched me so deeply, that I remember them even to this day and-

'_Holy shit, I totally forgot about Byakuya' _

I cover my gaping mouth with my hand in utter disbelief at the fact that I had completely forgot about what had happened yesterday.

"I-I have to go," I muttered as I hopped off the counter and got my stuff.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Caleb asked confusedly.

"I just remembered that I have to be somewhere," I said as I turn the doorknob and right as I was about to step out the door, a rough hand pulled me back.

"And just where are you going?" That husky recognizable voice asked. I glance over my shoulder and see that it's the oh-so-troubled redhead himself.

"Wherever I want," I sniped as I shook off his grip and walked away.

"I swear to God, if you're going where I think you're-"

And I closed the door in his face. I just didn't know what to do (besides run away). I was just so confused. I didn't see how my own best friend could become my worst enemy. I didn't see why he was mad at me and I didn't see why there were so many damn secrets. Didn't he just pick a lovely time to spring this one on me. I know he's a little stubborn, but come on! Telling me that I can't hang out with someone? You don't see _me _naggin' at him for hanging out with a drunken everyday.

I was just too frustrated at the time that I couldn't even tell my ups from my downs and it wasn't until my face collided with a wall that my head had cleared up a bit. And it was at that moment that I heard Caleb's words ring through my ears and I realized—I can do whatever I want! I didn't need _anybody's _permission and if they didn't like it, then tough shit, because I won't change a thing.

I started laughing like a lunatic as I walked down the stairs of the apartment and for the first time in a long time, I felt free. I didn't know why I didn't think of it sooner, but I realized that I could've spread my wings a lot time ago. The door to my cage was open, but there was a cover over it that made me blind. Now, all of the sudden, someone had lifted the curtain and showed me the 'window of opportunity', but I wasn't really sure if I wanted to fly yet.

With that being figured out, I quickly got a cab and made my way to the hospital. I was bit nervous, knowing that my brother was in such a critical state, but I _needed _to talk to him. I looked up to him for advice and he would always help me out whenever I had a sticky situation. Now, I need to return the favor.

"St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, and make it snappy," I said as I got in a cab.

"Well, well, if it ain't the volcano 'erself! Whateva happen'd t' that boytoy a' yours?"

"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously and then, the cab driver turned around and showed off his teeth in a wide grin as he took off his amber rectangular frames and grabbed his cap by the bill and took it off, letting his lustrous golden hair fall onto his shoulders. The man's mahogany eyes sprint to mine and greet them with a light-hearted, humorous nature that I hadn't seen the last time I met the man. Once I realized, my mouth had literally dropped and it made him let out a laugh or two.

"You're the taxi-driver-"

"That drove you an' yer friend, yes I did," He grinned.

"What are you doing here? And I apologize for my behavior from last time, Mr…?"

"Shinji Hirako, at yer service. And this is my block, so it's not a surprise if I see ya once or twice, Ms. Rukia."

"Good memory you have there, buddy. You remember all of you passengers' names?"

"Just the ones that are interestin'," The blonde said as he swiftly made a turn that nearly hit a truck.

"Who the holy fuck gave ya yer license, ya dumbfuck?" He hollered as he honked his horn and let out a couple of expletives under his breath as he sighed. I saw his eyes dart up the rear view mirror to look at me and he said, "Sorry about that, can't help it."

I nodded with an unsure look on my face, but I shrugged off my uneasiness.

"So, where's yer friend?"

"At his house. Why?"

"Nothin', just wonderin' why ya weren't with 'im. After all, y'all seemed like such _good _friends," He laughed as he pulled up to the hospital. I wasted no time in getting out my wallet.

"That'll be…no charge."

I stopped what I what doing and I have no idea what came over me to say, "It's free?"

"Yes, it is," he grinned.

"Why?" I ask with a flabbergasted look.

"Shouldn't you go on to the hospital? Aren't you visiting someone?"

"Right, right!" I said I hurried out of the vehicle and ran to the door, hearing the car sped away but in the distance I hear him yelling once again, which brought a small, goofy grin to my face.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" The lady at the counter asks.

"Yes, I'm here to see Byakuya Kuchiki, my brother."

"Hold on one minute while I pull up his information."

I rest my elbows on the marble counter as I took a look around the lounge. My eyes scanned the room and found everything from a couple reuniting with joy to a woman that had to be escorted out because she refused to get over the death of someone. Being here made me so uncomfortable, that it felt like my butt was sitting on needles.

"Miss?"

"Yes?"

"He's in room 223 upstairs. Just take the stairs. He should be awake."

"Alright then, thanks so much!"

"No problem," She smiled.

I literally _ran_ to the stairs and quickly climbed the steps without faltering for a single second for a breath. It wasn't long until I reached the room that I finally stopped to let out the excitement that was built up inside of me and right as I turned the metal knob, the door opened and my eyes exchanged greetings with the cold, icy blue ones that were behind the ebony, rectangular frames of a man with hair as black as the night. My mouth slightly dropped at the sight of him, since I thought it was someone from the past I knew, but I didn't say anything. Instead, I was too busy looking back at the man.

"Excuse me," He said with eyes down to the ground as he smoothly maneuvered around me. I turn back and watch him go, and wonder just who in the world that was, but I quickly shrug it off and go into the room, seeing my brother lie there with eyes wide open.

"Rukia! What are you-gahh," He groaned as he sat up. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see my brother who doesn't look so happy to see me," I giggled as I gave him a small hug, careful not to hurt him.

"So, I'm guessing you heard?"

"Well, kinda," I mumbled as I fidgeted with my hair as I took a seat next to him. "Renji told me about it."

"Didn't the-"

"Hospital call? Yeah, but my stupid phone was off."

"That's no surprise from you," He smiled. Even though the muscles in his face were spread out in a slight grin, I could still tell that he was hurting.

"So, do the police have any idea on who the people could be?"

"Not a clue," Byakuya sighed. "I can't think of anybody either."

"How long do you have to stay in the hospital?" I ask subtly as I mess around with his hand and trace the dragon tattoo on it with my index finger.

"I have no idea. I was lucky to have survived. They shot me right next to my heart and I would've been gone if the neighbors hadn't heard. And they got me pretty good in the stomach and my collarbone's fractured. The doctor that just walked out of here told me I'd need a couple of surgeries to help repair the tissue."

"Oh! I forgot to tell you! I got a job and I'm going to help pay for your surgery!" I said with a wide grin. "Renji's gonna help out too!"

His jaw dropped as he turned to look at me, and with his obsidian eyes staring straight at me, I couldn't help but look away to avoid that uncomfortable feeling.

"You…got a job? Where?"

"Uh, at this small company where my friend works at," I shrug. "I'm an administrative assistant…I think. But anyways, you can bet your money that your surgery will be covered, no doubt about it!"

"You have no idea how much this means to me," He said in barely a whisper as he hugged me tightly, which took me by surprise, but I just went with the flow. "Oh, you know the doctor I was just talking to?"

"The one with the glasses?"

"Yeah. He heard about my case and he's willing to give me some time to help pay the cost."

"Oh, well, that's nice of him. He didn't seem very…social, though."

"Eh, don't worry about him, you know how medical people can be," Byakuya shrugged as he moved the black bang out of his face. "So, what's been going on with you lately?"

"Well," I said as I took in a deep breath, knowing that I couldn't tell Byakuya about _The Rendezvous_, "Me and Renji are kinda having a 'disagreement', so I'm just ignoring him until he calms down and besides, I'm hanging out with a few friends tonight."

"Why are you two arguing? You two almost _never _fight."

"Eh, I dunno," I shrugged. "He's making a big deal because supposedly, this friend of his that I was hanging out with is 'bad news' and he doesn't want me around him."

"Isn't that supposed to be my job?" My brother asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Apparently, he thinks he's my dad or something. He said that because he was my best friend, that his opinion should count or whatever, but I dunno. I'm just gonna give him some time to chill out."

"But who is the guy he's talking about?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, nobody, just someone I met at Starbucks. I forgot my wallet and he saw my little 'dilemma' and he paid for my coffee and we started talking and yeah. That's all, really."

"What's his name? Appearance? Age? Desc-"

"Hold on, now! I'm not dating him!"

"…I'd still like to know," He reasoned.

"Fair enough. John Collins. Short, spiky orange hair, white, tall and lean, knows Renji and Shuhei. Uhm, that's all I can think of."

"Any…specific details?"

"Hmmm…" I said as I ponder for a moment on the Strawberry. "Oh! He has three tattooed dots on his handweb! And a 15 on his tongue!"

Instead of giving me the 'what the fuck' look I had been expecting from him, he just nodded and said, "I guess that's what's in today."

But I didn't bother to fight. In fact, I was kind of relieved he wasn't questioning about him like I had expected.

"Eh, to each his own," I shrugged.

Suddenly, we heard a knock on the door and it was the doctor again. I read his face and it told me that he was a bit surprised to see that I was still there, but he ignored me as he walked towards my brother with a handful of papers.

"I'll need you to sign these. Basically, it just says we have your permission to drug you before the surgery so you don't feel any pain," The man said.

"Okay, sounds good to me," He said as he grabbed the clipboard and signed it.

"Uhm, excuse me, Dr-"

"Dr. Milović."

"Yeah, well, just how much is all of this gonna cost and how long my brother is gonna be in the hospital and-"

"If you could come with me, please," He said as he grabbed my wrist and let me out the door. I look back at Byakuya, but he's busy signing the papers.

"Okay, why'd you need to call me out?" I ask as I tried to mock his scowl, but I failed horribly.

"I heard the story from your brother," The man said as he pushed up his glasses. "Now, I'm normally not allowed to do this but I'm giving you guys an extension, something I don't offer a lot of patients. Now, the total cost of the surgeries, food, use of utilities, IVs and everything else," The doctor said as he flipped a couple of pages on his clipboard. "Roughly $280,000."

"Oh God," was the phrase I chanted over and over again as the number kept on ringing in my ears, but it just didn't sink in.

"Ms. Kuchiki," He said as he placed a hand around my shoulder as he led me to a vacant chair so I could sit down. "I know that cost is steep, but-"

"Doctor, please," I said as I walked away back into the room, but he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him.

"Look, I cut you guys a huge amount of money."

"How so? What'd you do? Pay for some of it?"

He said nothing and only turned his head to the side.

"You…can't be serious. You don't even-"

"Know you? On the contrary, I've heard everything about you."

"_What? _I ask as I started to back up in fear, and as seconds ticked away, he slowly started to resemble that someone that I knew from before. The insanity slowly started to get to me until my pace quickly sped up and before I knew it, I was running away with tears in my eyes.

"Ms. Kuchiki!"

"Leave me alone, Kaien!" I hissed as I turned around for a brief second and then keep running. I heard him stopped for moment at the odd choice of words, but that didn't stop him from yelling.

"Wait!" He yelled.

And I did.

There was something in the way that his voice projected at me that made me stop. God knows why. I couldn't explain it.

Once the man had caught up me, he led me back into the doorway of Byakuya's room, but he didn't open the door. Instead, he just moved us to where my brother's eyes couldn't see us and I noticed that there was only a few workers out and about.

"Now, miss, try to calm down," He said as he grabbed my shoulders, which made the butterflies in my stomach fly all over. His touch was so inviting, but it felt so relaxed and calm. It was almost as if I recognized the sensation, but I know this couldn't be true because I hadn't met a man with a last name as complicated as his in all my life.

My sobs had slowly started to settle down and not for a second did the doctor loosen or change his grip on me. His hands remained there until he started talking again.

"Feel better?" He asked with a slight grin as he got out a pack of Kleenex from his ivory coat pocket and hand it to me, in which I graciously take and dry my tears.

"Thanks," I sniffled.

"Hey, don't mention it."

"Uhm, can I at least ask your name?"

"Oh?" The doctor inquired with raised eyebrows. "Why?"

"Why not?" I sparred back.

"Heh, you're an odd one, you know. I'm Dr. Damir Milović."

"I'll definitely remember your name," I joked.

"Why?" He asked with the upmost seriousness this time as he tucked away his glasses and his moonlit eyes flicker to mine cautiously.

"Because I have never heard a name like that."

"Oh. Well, yeah," He said as he lost all his uneasiness in a sigh and opened the door to where Bykuya was, who had dozed off in my time away.

"I'll visit sometime again this week," I whispered as I walked over to the sleeping log and gave him a slight kiss on the cheek while I scribble down my number on a scrap piece of paper and hand it to the doctor.

"That's my number. Call me if anything happens to him, okay?"

"Sure thing," He nodded as he clipped it onto his board. "As for the financial options…"

I braced myself for what he might say.

"We'll talk about it next time you come here."

"Alright then, thank you so much!" I said as gave him a hug that I couldn't hold back and ran off with glee, knowing that I didn't have to worry about it 'til later.

The hospital was minutes away from my house so I didn't bother to rush there. And once I finally got there, I jumped on the couch and turned on the TV as I kicked off my shoes and put my feet up on the table while I check my phone and saw that a number I didn't know called a couple of times. I push the 'mute' button on the remote as I called back the number and heard the continuous rings.

"Hello?" A cheery female voice asked, which I recognized.

"Cherry? You called me?" I asked with bewilderment.

"Oh, hey, Rukia! I was wondering if you were still coming over!"

"Uh, not to be rude or anything, but how on Earth did you get my number?"

"Renji. Now, are you coming or not?" She whined.

"Uh, sure, but-"

"Great! I'll come get you in a couple."

And the line went dead. Either this was a new trend or I was just too slow to see it coming.

Learning from my past experience, I double-timed to pack an outfit or two before the car could arrive and when it did, I was all ready and prepared.

I could hear Cherry hollering from the ground floor and the honking of car, which was probably hers.

"I'll be right down!" I yelled out the window as I swiped my keys from the table and locked the door behind me. My feet quickly ran down the stairs and once on the first floor, I saw the light of the 'store' that our landlord/shopkeeper, Coyote, was busy stocking the shelves and turned around once he had heard me walk in.

"Hey, Rukia," He said with a nod.

"Yeah?"

"You got a package today in the mail," He said as he handed me a small brown box with a fancy purple bow on top. "Whoever it's from sure has class, I'll give 'em that. I mean, just look at how they tied this dang thing!"

"Does it say who it's from?"

"Uhm, nope. I just got this at the door with a small card tucked under the bow that said, 'To Ms. Kuchiki."

"Huh. Would you look at that. Well, I'll check it out later," I said as I took it in my arms and walked out the door. "Thanks!"

"No prob."

Iwanted to know what my package was and who gave it to me, but I waited until I got into the yellow Jeep Wrangler of the woman's that it _really _started to bug me.

"Hmm? What's that?" Cherry asked.

"Just a package. Now, let's go," I mumbled as I stuffed it into my gigantic purse so I wouldn't be tempted to rip it to shreds.

So, we yapped about the 'sleepover' and the woman told me a bit of the people that were going to be there and a bit of everything. Including her dilemma with her beau and time eventually passed by, that I didn't believe it when we pulled up to her apartment already.

"Here we are," She grinned as she parked and got out of the car.

"Uh, which floor are you on?"

"The very top, but don't worry, we'll take the elevator. Follow me, it's just over here."

We walked over to the side of the towering brick building and opened a old, rusty door, which led to a dimly lit room with a staircase and a door to the side, in which we went through and Cherry pushed the '20' and the shaft started with a rumble, but smoothed its course once it got going.

"Sorry about that, this thing is kinda old," Cherry chuckled nervously.

"Don't worry about it. I've had my fair share of crappy elevator experiences. So, I'm just wondering, how many of us are gonna be there total?"

"Well, let's see," She said as she looked up and counted to herself as she held out her hand and touched each finger. "30. 40 max."

"Is your apartment that big for that crowd?" I asked skeptically.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll-"

And all of the sudden, the elevator stopped at the 13th floor and opened up its doors. But when it did, both me and Cherry were taken aback by the male at the door, who only looked back at us with that devilish smirk of his.

"C-Caleb? I didn't know you lived here!" Cherry exclaimed.

"Well, I just moved in so yeah. Oh, and what are _you _doing here?" The silver-haired male asked as he looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"I'm spending the night at Cherry's."

"Oh? A little get-together, eh? Well, surely it isn't the two of you, is it?"

"Nope. A couple of girls from work are coming over too."

"Is Candï coming?" Caleb asked with a curious expression.

"Yeah, definitely. But why? It's not like _you're_ going."

"Well, that's mighty rude way to turn down a person who _might _want to go."

"Aw, let him go!" I pleaded.

"Yeah, listen to the girl, _she _knows what she's talking about!" He nodded as he swung an arm around my shoulders.

"Whatever. But if you try to pull anything," The woman said as she narrowed her hazel eyes down at the male. "I can always call my Berry and he can always fix or…_break _something…if needed."

"Come on now, don't be like that, Cherry," He said as he put up his hands in protest. "I promise. I'll be gay for tonight."

"That shouldn't be too hard, now should it?" She asked as the door to her floor opened as she walked on ahead, leaving us two behind.

"You're gay?" I whisper.

"Bi. There's a difference."

"…You mind explaining to me what that might be? Because it'd be helpful to know."

"Unlike a full, complete gay, I still maintain _some _dignity. That, and I have testosterones, not estrogen."

"That is so rude!" I hissed as I hit him on the shoulder.

"Well, that's how I see it. And if I _were _gay, I would've bitched on how you hit me, but no. I didn't. Just another difference I just proved."

"I would've never guess that you were, er, 'on the fence'," I chuckled, but that soon quieted once I read his confused expression.

"_What?_"

"Uh, well, you know how people refer to gays or lesbian as 'jumping over the fence'? Well, since you're in the middle, you're 'on the fence'. Make sense now?"

"That's the stupidest phrase I've ever heard," He grumbled.

"Maybe _you're _stupid. Ever think of that?"

"Come on already!" Cherry groaned as she waited impatiently for the two of us to catch up. "I swear, you're worse than my grandma walking down Main Street! Hurry up already or I'm going to lock y'all out!"

"No need to get your panty in a bunch," Caleb nagged as he sluggishly made his way over to her. "Besides, it's not like everybody else is there."

"Actually, they are," She said as she opened the door to her _huge _apartment.

I gaped at how such a space could look so crowded and crushed from the outside, and yet be as big as 's butt on the inside. It had two floors with ivory staircases leading to it from both left and right. Right underneath the stairs was a little lounge that was made from a couple of comfortable colorful couches surrounding a large coffee table and across from it was a HD TV that hung on the wall and it looked more like a movie screen rather than a television. I noticed that on the walls, there was pictures and decorations adorned all over it, which brought out that 'classy' feeling in the home. Some of them were snapshots of beautiful moments in nature while others had a model posing and these were only in black and white, for some reason, which went well with the light emerald paint behind it.

"Hey, uh, about the whole bi thing," Caleb whispered as he nudged the side of my arm. "Promise me you won't tell anyone. Especially Candï, okay?"

"Sure thing, but, why don't you-"

"People would think different of me if they found out. I trust you because, well, 'cause I do. Not everyone supports 'hopping over the fence'."

"It's fine. I'll keep my mouth shut. But which one's Candï?"

"Rukia!" A short, lime-haired girl squealed as she glomped me by surprise and nearly made me fall over. I took a look at her and I recognized her from _The Rendezvous _as the girl whose sunglasses John messed with right before he disappeared.

"Uhm, hold on, I got this," I mumble as I tried to remember her name. "Kitty? Kiera? K-"

"It's Can-dï! I can't believe you forgot me already! How dare you!" She pouted.

"Awh, I'm sorry, but I'm no good with names. After all, that was my _second _time in TR. I can't remember everybody now," I chuckled as I returned the hug and set down my purse on the couch next to us.

"Well, I'll let it slide _this _time," The girl giggled. "Oh! Caleb! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you, I was just so happy to see Rukia!" She said as she gave him a quick hug.

"Ha, yeah, I could tell," The grey-haired male said with a grin.

"Hold on one minute, we'll talk later. Rukia, let me show you to your room," She said as she got my stuff and walked upstairs with me close behind. Candï opened the door with her spare hand and dropped the stuff on the bed and spread out her arms.

"This is it! Pretty fancy, huh?"

"I'll say. How did Cherry afford this?"

"Oh, she didn't buy it! Blueberry did!"

"Holy crap," I said as I jumped on the comfy mattress and glanced around the room. It felt as if I was in a hotel.

There I was, on this giant king-size bed with pillows so soft that made me want to take a nap right then and there. The room was a light shade of lavender with a dresser to the side and oak nightstands on each side of the bed with a crème lamp on each. I was blown away by the foyer but this…this was like a little slice of heaven itself!

In the midst of my little daze, I didn't realize that the package in my purse was standing straight up and it soon caught the girl's attention.

"Hey! What's that?" She asked as she held it up. "Ooh, pretty bow. Who sent it to you?"

"I have no clue," I shrugged.

"Well, aren't cha gonna open it? That's what presents are for! To open up and find the surprise inside! Come on! Do it!" She whined.

"But-"

"Wait, wait, wait, Cherry might know something about this," Candï said as she skipped over to the door. "Cherry! Cherry! Come here for a second!"

"Hold on a minute!" She growled as she stomped up the stairs and pushed the door open, seeing me with the package in hand.

"What's the emergency?" She asked.

Candï closed the door and said, "I think Rukia finally got it."

"Got what?" I ask.

"Can I see that for a second?" Cherry asked. I handed the box over to her and she quickly analyzed it.

"Yup, this is from Boss Man himself."

"B-Boss?" I stutter in disbelief. "How do you know?"

"Because," She said as she lifted the bow up and lifted open a flap of the cardboard box, pointing to a small black mark.

"You see that? That's his signature."

I took the box and examine it closely, seeing the initials 'I.K.' in writing so small, that I almost needed a magnifying scope to see it. It was hunched at the very corner that it almost looked like a regular pen smudge.

"Now, aren't you going to open it?" Candï asked impatiently.

"Uh, okay," I mumbled as I open up the box, seeing _another _box with a bow on it, but this one was wrapped up. And next to it, there was a beige letter that had 'To Ms. Kuchiki' hand-written in a fancy, black cursive across the front of the card. I put the box to the side and open up the letter, reading out loud what the card said.

I know this might be kind of awkward, considering you haven't met me in person, but let me introduce myself anyways. I am Ichigo Kurosaki, or as you may know me, your boss. I apologize deeply for the inconvenience of not being able to meet you yesterday night, but I was tied up with business affairs. Now, as you may have heard (due to the fact that people can't shut up), I'm offering you the job to be our next bartender and after hearing Pineapple explain to me about your little financial problem, I'll be more than happy to help you out and pay you double. Here are the conditions:

~You have to work at least six months.

~Devise a new menu.

~And lastly, but not least, a dinner date with yours truly. (To get to know each other, of course)

Knowing that you'll accept the job, I'll tell you when you work. You work Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 7p.m. 'til midnight. When you leave your bar, I expect it to be so clean that you can see your own reflection in it. All further details will be explained when we meet and you start working this Saturday. And I got you a 'welcoming' gift. Enjoy.

P.S. You really shouldn't worry that much.

~ Boss

"OMIGOD," Candï said as she covered her gaping mouth with her big hazel eyes wide open. "Open the present! Open it!"

"Okay, okay, chill," I said calmly as I held up my hands and got the small box. "It's not like Jesus is coming so try to breathe, Candï."

"JUST OPEN IT!" She hissed.

"Fine. Bossy," I growled as I slowly undid the bow (which was hand-tied this time) and ripped off the cover and saw a plain old white box underneath it. I opened it and I could've sworn my heart skipped a beat as I lifted the breathtaking necklace from the cushion. I saw the both of the women's jaws had dropped once they saw it.

The pendant was made out of silver gold and it had this long chain that stopped right above the lining of my shirt and at its end, was a light blue, translucent gem in the shape of a teardrop.

"Put it on! Put it on!" The two repeated.

I walk over to the mirror standing above the dresser and put my hair up in a bun so that I could attach the clasp and once it was secured, I let down my hair and stare back at my reflection, amazed not by how the necklace looked on me, but at the gem instead. I couldn't stop staring at it. It looked like it was the tear from an angel. It glistened when the evening sun hit right through it, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it reflect the colors of the rainbow; every single one of them. I held the gem between my thumb and index, feeling the coldness of it on my skin, which, somehow, made the hairs on my arm rise.

"Oh my God, Rukia," Cherry said as she lifted the chain and stared at the gemstone. "Well, I'll be damned," She chuckled as she rubbed the gem with her thumb. "You really _are _his favorite."

"You didn't think so? You were the-"

"One who said it, I know. But I didn't have proof. But now I do," She said.

Then, we heard a knock on the door.

"Cherry?" A female voice asked.

"Yeah?"

"Blueberry's here."

Me and Candï looked at her with wide grins and raised eyebrows as we tried to stifle our laughter.

"You two are such idiots," She said with an eye roll as she closed the door behind her, but then she popped back in.

"Rukia, can you come with me for a second?"

"Sure," I said as I hopped off the bed and followed her, but I heard Candï get up as well.

"I guess _I'm _not invited then," She pouted and then let out an 'hmph' as she walked the other way.

"Anyways," The teal-haired woman said as we walked down the steps. "If anyone asks you who that's from, don't tell them it was Boss."

"Why?"

"Because, it'll make people talk. Think about it. It'd be bad for both of y'all's 'image'. Think about it. A boss having an affair with one of his workers?"

"Ew!" I said in disgust.

"Yeah. But trust me, Boss isn't like that. He's isn't stupid enough to do that kind of stuff."

"Alright. But who do I say it's from then?" I said as I looked back down at the gem.

"I dunno, use your imagination," She shrugged as we reached the end of the stairs but looked around confusedly.

"Where is he? She said he was down here…" She mumbled as she scratched the crimson birthmark across the bridge of her nose. Suddenly, I heard light footsteps behind me and I turned around and saw that it was the missing Berry himself.

"Ssshh," He said to me as he shook his sky blue bangs out of his face and sneaked up behind Cherry and hugged her by surprise.

"Wha? I found ya!" She giggled with glee.

"Yeah, I was definitely hiding under the staircase, that's the number one place I would hide," He chuckled as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before letting go. He looked to me and said, "Well, it seems we meet again, Ms. Kuchiki," He chuckled. "Now, you finally get to meet-"

"We met a _long _time ago, hun," Cherry said as she swung an arm around my hips.

"Okay, that explains her but what about _him? _What's Caleb doing here?" He growled, narrowing his chestnut eyes at the male.

The teal-haired woman moved in front of her beau and placed her hands on his shoulders and said, "Chill. It's _Caleb, _remember? Besides, he _promised_ me he would be gay tonight."

"He better not be getting into anyone's pants tonight or that will be the last time."

And I have no clue what possessed me to look this man in the eyes and ask, "Why?"

He raised his eyebrows at me and then said, "Because I'll break his _bout*_."

"His _what?_"

"Nothing," Cherry said as she shook her head and twirled a piece of her blonde hair.

"Hey, didn't you have an announcement to make?" Matt asked.

"Oh, right, right!" She said as she ran up the stairs.

"But…what about _your _announcement?" I asked.

"Eh?" He looked down at me with a slight scowl. "What are you yappin' about?"

"On the phone. You said you had 'bad news."

"How do you know about that?"

"Because I was there with Cherry."

"You eavesdropped?" The brunette said as he lowered his eyes at me, which made me get the goosebumps of fear.

"Well, uh, I apologize," I said sheepishly as a small grin tugged at the corners of my mouth as I fidgeted with my hands nervously.

"No matter. But you need to realize there's a time and place for everything and this…just isn't the right one. But don't worry, I'll tell her," He sighed. "Eventually."

"What could be so bad that you can't tell her now? Wait, you didn't cheat on her, did you?"

"Pft, like I could find someone better than the best. There's no need. I think all of this 'Boss' business has you a bit riled up, no?" Blueberry said as he ruffled my hair. I slapped his wrist away with a glare.

"I wasn't implying it."

"Rukia, you're as stubborn as they come. Just like Nelliel."

"_Nelliel?_"

"Cherry. That's her real name—Nelliel."

"Awh, that's such a pretty name," I gushed.

"Mhmm. Jeez, I can't believe it's been almost five years," He chuckled.

"Five years since what?" I inquire.

"Since I had met her. Funny story actually, Boss was the one to introduce us."

"How?"

"Well, back when I was traveling with Boss and the crew, we went all the way down to South Carolina to meet with a few people and along the way, we met with her. Apparently, boss man knew her and that's how we met and after that, she started traveling with us."

"Why did she travel with you?"

He gave me a glare immediately after hearing that.

"Not that that's a bad thing or anything," I said sheepishly.

Matt didn't say anything after a moment or two, as he was watching the woman prepare her 'announcement'.

"She had nowhere to go."

"Huh?"

"Her house got burnt down. Along with the people in it. She was the only one who made it out."

"Oh my God," I said as I covered my gaping mouth.

"Yeah. It still bothers her, even now. If you're smart, don't bring it up. Because then _I'll _have to deal with it."

"Sure thing. But she never seemed the type to be down…about anything, really."

"Well, she isn't. But then again, everybody has a couple of shitty moments from the past. Even you."

"Yeah, tell me about it," I said as I crossed my arms and watched Nel start speaking. "But, how'd you meet her?" I ask.

"Turns out Boss knew her. But then again, I guess you're hearing that he knows everyone from way-back-when, right?"

"Pretty much. What, did you all grow up together in the cul-de-sac or something?"

"Hell no. We were scattered all over. Cherry's from South Carolina, I'm from Louisiana, Candï's from California, Tia's from France, Pineapple's from here-"

"What about Strawberry?" I asked oh-so-innocently.

"Hmmm…" He said as he put his hand beneath his chin and stared down at the ground. "You know, I'm not really sure myself. I know he told me before, but I just can't remember."

"Oh. Well, anyways-"

"Excuse me," Cherry said as she raised her voice, getting the attention of the people below.

"We'll pick up where we left off next time," The man said in barely a whisper as the woman started to talk.

"Thank all of you for coming out here on such short notice, I really appreciate it. Now, surely you figured this isn't a regular old sleepover if you recognize everybody from work, right?"

The crowd has started mumbling and I could hear all kind of comments being said, but I did nothing except to look at the brunette's face for any response to Cherry's words, but there was no reaction in the first place. And right as I was about to ask him about it, she started speaking again.

"Well, there's a simple, logical reason for that," Nel paused momentarily. "Because I have called a meeting to discuss-"

"What about Boss? Where is he?" A voice shouted.

"Yeah, only Boss can call meetings!" Another shouted.

And within seconds, the mass of people started to rile up and I started to panic a bit because Cherry wasn't doing a thing! So, I decided to step in. But before I could take another step, Blueberry stopped me.

"Where do you think _you're _going?"

"I'm going to teach theses people a lesson! How can you just stand there? They're up there, insulting your own girlfriend! Aren't you going to do anything?"

"I don't get involved in her personal matters. Besides, she can handle it. She's a big girl."

"Ugh!" I said as I pushed him out of the way and walked up the stairs, keeping a close eye on the crowed as they fill up with more and more angst. I was a bit let down once I saw Nel walk away and 'surrender' to the crowd, but as I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Matt's face spread out in a wide grin.

"Alors, vous êtes les conduisant dans un piège, êtes-vous?"* He said as he lit up a cig and exhaled.

And right then, the Cherry turned back and yelled.

"E-nough!"

The whole crowd was as silent as a graveyard and her voice was so intimidating then, that I came to a stop immediately and started walking down the steps while my eyes was watching the enraged Cherry.

"Do you realize what you're saying? Look at yourselves!" She hissed. "You rely on Boss for every little thing and you're all cowards to do anything without his permission! It's like you can't take a single step without his 'okay'. You can't do a damned thing by yourselves! You have _no _idea what's he going through right now and you expect him to watch after every single person in TR? Jesus Christ, you're adults, for crying out loud! Well, I least I _thought _you were. Having no shred on independence really makes me question that. My point being…you can't just expect Boss to give you every single little thing you want. I know some of you very well and even though you're nice to me, you're not so 'friendly' to other people. Especially him. You're abusing him for God knows what. Money, power, sex, I don't know! But it needs to stop. _None _of you know him like I do and if you do, then, please, why don't you come on up?"

Everybody looked at each other, but nobody dared to step up.

"I thought so. Because of your selfish wants, he's at the point where he can't take care of himself, much less _anybody. _He's trying to protect every single one of us from being exposed but-"

"You think we don't know that?"

The crowd's eyes darted to the back, to make way for a tall, redhead who had her hair covering a part of her face.

"You think that we're just over her loafing around like a couple of lazy asses? True, I can't speak for everybody but I _can _speak for the part of us that _want _to help him. But we can't! We just can't! And you know better than anybody that we can't associate with him!"

"Do you hear yourself? 'It's not in my power', my ass!"

I could hear Blueberry chuckling from behind, but I ignored it and watched the heated argument as I took a seat on the stairs with my legs dangling out of the open spaces while my arms were wrapped around the vertical rails of the ivory steps.

"Then tell us," The rebellious redhead asked as she walked closer, "What _should _we do? Just what is making Boss so nervous?"

Even from the distance I was at, I could see a slight frown on Cherry's lips.

"There's nothing you _can _do, because," She said, exhaling a sigh through her nostrils, "The King is back."

"B-But that means-"

"Yes. The jobs are back and Boss told me they're more dangerous than ever."

"So, she figured it out after all," Grimm said as he bent his cigarette in half and flicked it inside a nearby flower pot. "I knew my girl was smart."

"What is she talking about? Who's King?"

The Blueberry nearly fell over his own foot when he heard me, and looked back at me with eyes wide open.

"Oh my God, if I didn't meet you, I would hate you for being so stupid," He sighed. "King…is bigger than life. Bigger than Boss, actually. But all you need to know for know is that King gives Boss orders called 'jobs' in which he has people do."

"Why can't he do them himself?"

"He may be Boss but he isn't Superman."

"But just what are these 'jobs'? Why do people make such a big deal out of them?"

"Because if you're not careful," The brunette said as he looked to his girlfriend for a second and then back to me. "You might just get robbed."

"Robbed?" I ask, seeing Yuki's face in my head at the sound of the word. "Of what?"

"Life."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, just what kinda job is this?"

"It depends. And only certain people can take specific jobs. You remember those feathers and how they were different, right?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Well, those are kind of like employee badges, if you will. Certain colors represent certain jobs that people are wiling to do. So, let's say, I wore a, uhm, white feather. That would deal with all things related to getting information on somebody or tracking them down or whatever. But those rarely come around."

"So, lemme get this straight. There's King, who gives the jobs to Boss, who hands them out to certain people?"

"Uhm, yeah, kinda."

"But who decides who gets the job specifically?

"Boss, but there's no need to go into such details. He'll explain it to you when the time comes. Unfortunately, I must take my leave because it's that time already."

"Time…for what?" I ask.

"To tell Nel."

"But what is so serious that you had to-"

"I got a job…that I can't decline. That's the bad news," He growled.

"But what's your job or mission or whatever it is? Maybe it isn't as bad as you-"

"I'll sum it up in three words," The man said as he lifted up a finger for each word he was about to say.

"Cold. Hearted. Murder."

I stared him down to make sure if he was _really _telling the truth or just playing around, but the look on his face told me _everything. _It told me he _wasn't _ready to tell Nel and worry was written all over it.

"You're…serious, aren't you?"

He shrugged off his anxiety as he turned to face me.

"'Til next time," Blueberry said with a quick nod as he exited the room through one of the doors.

I couldn't help but fidget with my necklace due to all of the uneasiness that was built up inside of me. My eyes wandered the room and saw that (more or less) the people were kinda flamboyant and cheerful, despite hearing the news from Cherry. Even though I hadn't a half-assed guess about what was so serious about these jobs, (well, other than Grimm's) I just couldn't imagine all of this being hidden from the eyes of society. I didn't know how all of this managed to stay covert and even if Boss was behind it, it made me wonder. Could he possibly have such power to hide such things? Who is he, really, and what's his motive?

All of these questions came back into my head, but again, I had no answers. But I had a strong feeling I was about to find out.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called.

I turned around and saw Caleb walking towards me with a big, goofy grin on his face.

"Are you high?" I ask.

"Pft, please, I _hate _smoking," He grumbled "But…what's that around your neck?"

"Oh, nothing," I said as I tucked the pendant underneath my shirt.

"No, let me see it!" He whined.

"Why?" I asked apathetically as I took a seat in one of the sofas in the lounge.

"Come on, it's not like I'm going to steal it or anything, I just want to have a look-see."

"…Fine," I gave up as I took off the silver lavaliere and handed it over to him, who was careful with it. A hand held the chain securely while the other handled the small gemstone, which he examined closely.

"Who gave this to you?" Caleb asked suddenly.

"Uh, uh, a friend!" I shout, remembering Cherry's words of advice.

"So, I take it that you went to go meet Boss when you left Renji's? Because I don't remember you wearing this on the elevator."

"What makes you think I've met Boss? And what does he have to do with this? I told you, a friend gave me that, not Boss."

"Oh really? Then where'd they get this? Because this is quite the looker. I mean," He said, then making a wolf-whistle, "Look at that detail! Your friend _must _be loaded to getcha something like this!"

"Mhmm," I agreed apathetically.

"So, why'd they get you this? _Surely _it couldn't be out of the blue, now?"

"Of course not!" I said, patting his shoulder. "It…was…to celebrate me finally getting a job!"

"Now, that's an awfully nice friend you have there because I have never heard of a 'friend' giving a person a present that's worth thousands just because of a job. I mean, I understand a party or something but expensive jewelry? I kinda want to be friends with that person, if you catch my drift," Caleb said with a smirk as he elbowed me.

"What's your point?" I growled. "And I want my necklace back."

"Now, now, let's not get feisty. Even though I'm not that much of a root rat, I'd save that kinda of attitude for the room, wouldn't you agree?"

"…Okay. As I was saying," I said as I cleared my throat. "May I have my necklace back?"

"So, let me get this straight," He said as he swung the jewelry back and forth like a pendulum. "You're telling me that your 'friend' got you this just because you got a job in God knows how long, right?"

I gave up. I didn't want to argue anymore.

"Fine, fine, you got me. It was from Boss," I grumbled.

"I knew it," The grey-haired male said as he flashed his teeth. "But ya know, it would've been easier to admit from the start. Why'd you lie about it?"

I took in a sigh and said, "When Cherry saw that I had this, she told me not to tell anyone who gave it to me. Said it'd be bad for our 'image'."

"She's right. But that's to these idiots parading over here. However, I can see that it's more than a trinket to you, right?"

I nodded and asked, "But…how did you know this was from Boss in the first place?"

"Because this gem right here," Caleb said as he pointed to the teardrop shaped jewel, "Is blue topaz, the particular favorite jewel of the Boss'. Only gives out gifts like these to those he likes a _lot._"

"And just how do _you _this?" I ask with my hands on my hips.

"It happened to Princess, Boss' _previous _favorite. That is, until _you _came along. Well, actually, I take that back. Their relationship gradually faded away a couple of weeks prior to your 'entrance'. He made her famous, you know. But I haven't seen her in months, so I guess she's busy with her other job."

"Who's Princess? And famous?"

"Princess...was one of my best friends. That is, until she changed. Before, she was sweet as a lump of sugar and now, she's very conniving and evil and will do _anything _to get what she wants. She was made 'famous' by Boss because he introduced her to some close people that were in the modeling business and she got hired and now she's in the big leagues. I hear she still comes here, but that's only on a blue moon. She's so famous, that even the patrons would recognize her, so she has to disguise herself from being exposed."

"So, how'd she get to TR?"

"I don't know. I've only been here for three years, so I wasn't there at the time of her arrival. But she was very much like you, except, you have more of a fiery streak in you. She was so nervous about meeting the Boss that she fainted. She wasn't very strong in the beginning. But once she finally met him, they clicked and before you knew it, they started dating. However, any information beyond that was totally hidden and nobody except close friends of Boss knew what was happening. There's a rumor saying that they had a kid, but I don't buy it. Otherwise, Boss would be out of the office more to take of it, you know?"

"This 'Princess' person seems like quite the lady," I mumbled.

"Yeah, she was quite the card. But all of the sudden, she just gone up and left. Poof."

"Poof?"

"Yeah. She cut off all contact with everybody and didn't talk to us for weeks, months, years, I don't know. TR was never the same after that. Everybody was a bit depressed after she left. Especially Boss. I don't mean to get all sentimental and whatnot, but it broke his heart. Left him depressed for eternity. He would barely come out of the office and he couldn't manage to take care of himself, so he needed people to help him. It was such a shame to watch. So many people left after that, that it was only me and a few others."

"Awh, he really loved her, didn't he?"

"Mhmm. What they had was love, alright. And not the kind to just make a naughty with. Oh no, this was like the kind you'd see on Lifetime. But she did come back eventually."

"What happened then?"

"At first, everybody was happy to see her and so thrilled that she was well and all that jazz. But something in her changed. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's like, something you can sense, you know? Anyways, and I was there personally when this happened, when her and Boss finally met again, what they had…disappeared. All the sparks and butterflies and everything was gone like a light. It was as if someone erased all the love shit between them with an eraser and only left strained marks behind, you know?"

"But what'd Boss say? What'd she say?" I ask, getting more sucked into the story, but he only shook his head and gave me back my necklace.

"Sorry, dear, I can't talk anymore."

"And why the hell not?" I whined. "I wanna know what happened!"

"Well, I can't say anymore because a certain someone is spying on me from behind."

The moment he finished his sentence, my mind went back to last night, when I had eavesdropped on Renji's conversation with John. Almost immediately, I felt a pang of anger at the thought of that stupid brunette gorilla. And when I thought of that toothy grin of that blonde, it only made me madder.

"Gee, you're such a party pooper, Caleb!" Candï whined as she popped up from the couch behind us and plopped down next to Caleb.

"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know," He mumbled.

"But still! I wanna know what happened too!"

"See! You have an audience! Now you _have _to tell us!" I barked.

"No, I'll save it for another time!"

"Why?" The lime-haired girl complained.

"Because I said so and that's that! End of story!" Caleb growled irritably as he crossed his arms and right as he was about to put his feet up on the coffee table, Cherry scolded at him.

"Get your feet off of the table!" She screeched.

And he immediately sat straight up with his feet glued to the floor while his hands were in his lap and he was frozen with fear.

We could hear the woman slowly make her way down the stairs with a heavy sigh, and I turn around, seeing that her eyes were slightly puffy from crying. I got up and I ran to her and gave her a hug as she sniffled and let a few stray tears ran down her cheeks.

"Rukia…I can't do this," She said as she broke in a sob.

"Cherry, what's wrong? Come on, let's go somewhere else where we can have some peace and quiet and you explain to me everything that happened," I said as I led her to the balcony door and pushed it open with my foot as she and I take a seat in the iron chairs across from each other.

In the distance, we saw the crescent moon hovering over the swarms of apartments that were all crowded together that towered our view. The woman's breathing had finally slowed down a bit as she started to calm down.

"Now, explain from the very beginning," I said as I held both of her hands, reassuring her that I was there for her.

"Okay, so," She sniffled, "Me and Grimm go to the room since he said he had something to tell me so I'm like, 'Okay, shoot'. And he sits down next to me and he asks me if I remember the time when he had to go away for a couple months on a 'job' and I'm like, 'Of course, I could barely sleep during that time' and then…and then…" Nelliel said as she dried a tear that was coming out with the edge of her sleeve. "He said it's that time again. He said King issued the job for him personally, so there's no way out. Rukia, I know you may not get the gist of this, but these kinds of jobs are suicidal and I can't take any more of this. I want it to end. All of the senseless killing, all of the violence, everything."

"But, why don't you talk to Boss about it? Maybe he can arrange something? After all, you said you knew him from way back, right?"

"No. He can't do anything because King's in charge."

"But I don't get it. Why can't he just say no to the job?"

"That's the thing. You _can't._"

"And why not?"

"Because he'll kill you if you disobey. Rukia, listen to me. If you think Boss is scary, then King is the Grim Reaper. He can find you, track you down, and have someone do the 'job' of finishing you off. You see why these jobs are so serious? If you're in Grimmjow's position and you don't do things right, you're immediately on his 'trash' list. And it's not one-by-one. Oh, no. You and some other guys will somehow get 'taken care off' at the same time. It's scary to even mention his name, especially at this time."

"But, what makes you think Grimm is going to do the job wrong? Besides, after it's done, that's it, right?"

She shook her head and said, "It's not that I'm worried he'll do it wrong. I'm worried on _who _he has to take out. I've met the man in person and he's a merciless killer. He's a bloodthirsty monster and last time Grimm and him met, Grimm nearly had his head cut off. I'm worried because I've heard he's getting stronger day by day and I'm not sure if Grimmjow is up to it."

I stared straight at her for a moment and then stood up, making her raise her head.

"You can't act like that, Nel," I mumbled as I let go of her hands and sit on top of the balcony rail. "Thinking that way will only drag you down and what is he gonna do once he sees you depressed, hmm? Think about it. If that man is the monster you say he is, then someone _needs _to cut him down. So what if this 'King' or whoever told him to do it? He would probably kill just to save you from being harmed! He's fighting for you and you're just sitting here, crying your eyes out on what _could _happen but it didn't! You can't jump to conclusions!"

When I finally looked back at her, I noticed that her eyes were wide open with astonishment, but her lips were still ziplocked in a small, thin line.

"I remember a couple of years ago, back when Renji and I were kids, he had to fight this bully that was picking on me and when he told me he was going to beat them up, I spent the whole day crying, begging him not to go. And then, he finally told me this," I said quietly as I held onto the pendant once again.

"'You know, seeing you cry makes me feel like I've failed. I've failed in being a 'big brother' because I couldn't stop those tears from falling down your cheeks because of that sadness that's in you, right? So, here's what I'll do. I'll get rid of whatever's making you sad, so then, you can stop crying and smile for me like you did before, kay?' And I asked him," I said, stopping to dry my eyes as I was getting teary myself. "'Why do you want me to smile? What good will it do?' And he said, 'It's the reason why I get up in the morning. It's the reason why I even bother to live. And lastly…it's why I fight. So, stop your whining and get some sleep already.'"

"Rukia…you're completely right. I have to have faith in my boyfriend. I have to be positive," Nel said, wiping the last of her tears away and let out a built-up sigh. "Thank you for helping me realizing my mistake; I need to be strong."

"No problem, Cherry," I grinned.

"Please, call me by my first name. I insist."

"Okay, well, _Nel_, it's no problem. Know that you can call me anytime for mid-life crises like these."

"Awh, thank you darling," She said as she gave me a quick hug but quickly broke away as I felt a sudden vibration go off.

"Pardon me," She said as she hit a button and said, "You're on speaker."

"Good evening, Cherry," An older male voice (who had a bit of an accent) said.

"Good evening, Boss."

My jaw dropped.

"That's Boss? _The _Boss?" I whispered.

"Yes, Ms. Kuchiki, I very well am _the _Boss."

I cover up my face with both hands in embarrassment, wondering just how the hell he could've heard me.

"So, whatchu want, boo?" Cherry asked as she hopped on the rail.

"Boo?" I mouthed, but she shrugged with a silly grin on her face.

"Well, I figured since you were having the meeting at your house, I'd check to see how it went. How'd the ladies take it?"

"Eh, you know. They may be clueless, but they ain't heartless. They actually surprised me today."

"Hm? How so?"

"Well, after I told them your little…'problem' and how I ranted on how they were asking too much, Nina stepped in and her words specifically shocked me. She said on how they girls _want _to help you, but they can't because it's not in their power. If you ask me, the only thing they want to help you with is taking off your trousers."

I couldn't help but laugh, in which I immediately stifled, feeling stupid once again.

"I'm sorry," I muttered as I tried not to laugh.

"Well, even though that may be true, she is right about the whole 'power' thing. You know how this whole thing works."

"I know, but it's so stupid. Why can't they help you?"

"Because we don't want a repeat of what happened last time," He said in almost a growl. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, can you hand over the phone to Rukia for a few minutes?"

"Sure," She mumbled as she handed over her cell.

"And I'd like to speak to her _alone, _if possible."

"Well, that isn't possible," Cherry barked back.

"Oh, _really? _And why is that?"

"Because she is _my _guest at _my _house and-"

"Uh, Nel?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

"I kinda have some things I want to ask Boss alone too. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude-"

"Not at all! Just hand me the phone when you're done because I have a couple of words for him," She said as she slid the balcony door shut, leaving me all by myself. Kinda.

"So, Rukia, I want to know, did you get my package?"

"Yes, I did," I grinned. "And I loved the necklace. It's very beautiful and I can't thank you enough for letting me have this job. I really appreciate it, sir."

"No problem. Actually, I was a bit worried to see how you'd like it because, truth be told, I didn't pick out the necklace. I kind of had an associate pick it out for me, since I was busy with errands and whatnot. Anyways, I'm assuming you've read my card, right?"

"Mhmm. I'll be at work at a quarter 'til eight. But…Boss?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not gonna lie…this is really uncomfortable talking to my superior who I haven't met over the phone."

I heard him chuckle for a moment and then say, "I know and I apologize. I've just been so busy that…you know, there is no _real _reason to excuse me from meeting a new employee of mine. I apologize, I had no idea I was being so rude."

"Oh, it's fine! Don't worry! But uhm…you mentioned something about a dinner date on the card?"

"Ah, yes! I have us scheduled to eat at this small restaurant called _Jushiro_'_s _next Sunday at 8. Is that fine with you?"

"Sure, that's perfect! Uhm, can I ask a question?" I said awkwardly.

"Go ahead."

"Uhm, have you seen Strawberry at all today? I left without saying goodbye to him and I felt a bit about that and I want to clear up-"

"Please, don't share your love drama with me."

"Excuse me, but there is no drama whatsoever between me and him. I just didn't want to seem-"

"I was joking."

"…Oh."

"Now, I'm going to step out of the 'Boss' boundaries and right now, I'm gonna be regular old Ichigo Kurosaki, okay?"

"Uh..sure."

"I know you're really wound up about this. Talk to me, Tell me what's wrong."

"Well, sir-"

"Ichigo."

"Okay, well, _Ichigo_, to be honest, I'm a bit…upset at the moment."

"And why is that?"

"Before I go on, you have to promise me you won't get involved, okay? Like, I don't mean pinky-swear or that kind of kiddy crap. I mean, like, some blood oath mafia shit, okay?"

"I'll try to keep my mouth shut."

And I explained what happened today (excluding my morning). I was careful to choose my words since it _was _Boss, even though I was talking to 'Ichigo'.

"So, you're telling me that Pineapple won't let you hang with Strawberry because he's 'bad news'?"

"Mhmm. Can you believe him? I mean, yeah, Strawberry can be annoying and kind of a horn dog but he's funny and but overall, he's really cool and someone who gets me. I know I sound like an idiot, but I respect him because he's given me a reason to. The problem is, I don't know if Pineapple's just making up lies because it's really hard for me to imagine Strawberry as 'bad news', you know? After the 'bad news' I saw with Cherry and Blueberry, I don't think he could come nowhere close to that."

"But then again, you've only known him for about two days, right?"

"You're right, but I know for a fact that he isn't…"

"Isn't.,.?"

"That he isn't as bad as Pineapple says he is. And trust me, I would know…and…so does Pineapple…oh my God, I figured it out!" I said as I laughed to myself.

"Uh, figured _what _out?"

"Why he doesn't want me hanging out with Strawberry! I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!"

"You mind explaining because I'm in the dark over here."

Now it was _my_ turn to say this line.

"I'll explain everything _later_. Tell you what, I'll tell you next Sunday, okay?"

"That's a long wait," He whined slightly.

"Come on, you're Boss! You can do it!"

"Alright, but just for you, okay?"

"Sure thing. Oh, and out of curiosity, will we meet other than Sunday?"

"I'm sorry to say this, but no. I'm going to be very busy this week."

"Ah, I see. Well, it was nice talking to you, Ichigo."

"Likewise. Goodnight, Rukia."

"Goodnight."

"Oh! I forgot to mention something."

"What is it?"

"You had a message from Strawberry."

"Oh, well, go ahead."

"He told me to tell you," He said as he cleared his throat,

"Sweet dreams, Lutko."


	5. Notes of the Forgotten Past

Author's Note: I know this chapter is kinda eh...and confusing, but DON'T WORRY! There is a reason for that. No, I was not drunk (okay, maybe a_ little_) when writing this. I'm having a bad week and my moos heavily impacts my writing. I'm just so exhausted and I'm uber nervous bc of some shit that's going on. But, on the upside, I'm making a _**NARUTO **_fanfic. Yus, you read correctly, my friend. I'll post it sometime this or next week.

~Kanita 3

P.S. Oh, and 'boze mili' literally means 'dear god'. If I forget any other translations, lemme know.

_***EDIT*: **_fixed some of the confusion in the chapter. Sorry about that. *bows deeply*

* * *

The morning after…wasn't the best one I could've woken up to. I felt hung-over, cranky, and hungry. A triple threat. Despite the nauseous feeling in my stomach, I had a lot of energy when I woke up and when I did, I found out that I had fallen asleep on the stairs and how I got there was beyond me.

"Well, g'morning Sleeping Beauty!" Caleb said as he saw me get up.

"Howdy to you too," I grumbled with a yawn as I stretched out my arms and let out a content sigh. "Just wondering, what-"

"A-hem," He said quietly as he turned his head the other way while he patted his breast repeatedly. I stared at him, dumbfounded in response.

"It's showing," Caleb said, clearing his throat loudly.

"Huh?" I asked as I looked at myself and awkwardly find a part of my bra showing from a giant hole (which I had no idea how it got there). I cross my arms over my chest and stare down at the ground.

"Uh, Caleb? Can I wear your jacket?"

"Just wear the shirt backwards."

"Bossy," I muttered as I quickly turned the shirt around and headed down the stairs, "Anyways, you mind explaining just what the hell how I ended up on the stairs?"

"Sure, but let's see how much you _do _remember. So, I heard you talked with Boss over the phone, right?"

"Yeah, he wasn't _so _bad."

"See? You got all worked up over nothing, you idiot. Now, what do you remember after that?"

"Uhm, I remember me, Cherry, you, and a couple of the others went into this _giant _theatre room where we watched _Titanic-_"

"Which I refused to watch," He grumbled.

"But Candï and I made you watch it since it was your first time-"

"And last."

"You liar, there was a rerun on TBS last night, so we watched it again."

"But I snuck out because I needed some alcohol in my system since it was a Friday."

"Okay, but that's all I can remember. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember what happened the night before that either. Weird," I said with a slight frown.

"It's because you're getting old," The grey-haired male chuckled as he licked his ebony lip ring.

"Shut up, you moron. Now, go on."

"So, while I ran out to get a few beers, I heard that everybody was having fun without me. Candï tells me that people were all over the place. From drinking and getting high as the fucking birds to uh, dancing? I dunno, that's what she said. She also said that's were she, you, and the gang were."

"So, I passed out from dancing? How lame. I thought I would at least have a drink or something," I sighed in disappointment.

"I never said you didn't. I just said you weren't one of the drunkies in the kitchen drinking their hearts out in someone else's kitchen."

"Eh, to each his own," I shrugged, trying to recall anything else from last night. "Oh! What about Cherry?"

"I'm right here," The cheery female voice piped up from behind. I turn around and saw the woman's teal hair dance as she walked.

"Buenos dias," She grinned. "Did you sleep well?"

"More or less. I fell asleep on the stairs."

"…_What?_"

"I don't even know myself, so don't ask. I just asked Caleb here what happened and apparently, I passed out from dancing."

"I'll say. You were up 'til three o' clock dancing your tush off with the girls."

"Wait, what time is it now?"

"Uh," Cherry said, looking at her watch while she scratched her crimson birthmark across the bridge of her nose, "3:06. Holy crap! I just remembered!"

"What?"

"Boss called earlier and he said he wanted you to come around 2."

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up then?" I yelled as I ran up the stairs and to my room to get my stuff.

"Because I didn't know where you were sleeping!" She hollered back and in no time, I was already out the front door.

"Hurry up!" I whined.

"Let me put on my dang heels first!" The woman whined.

"I might as well go with you two," Caleb shrugged. "I have to meet with somebody and better late than never."

"Whatever, just don't get in my way. You're taking your stuff with you, Rukia?"

"I can't leave it here at your house."

"No, I mean to work."

"Who cares if she brings a bag?" The man asked as we all crammed into the elevator once again. "If anything, the only thing I'd be worried about is someone trying to steal something. That is, if they haven't already."

"They better not have," I said as I started digging through my purse, but the shaft had already reached the bottom and we were on our way to 'work'.

"I have a question for ya, Caleb," I said once I had triple-checked everything was there in my handbag.

"Go ahead."

"Just what exactly _is _your job?"

"He's a-"

"Tattoo artist," Caleb said, interrupting Cherry. "I am indeed a tattoo artist. Who do you think gave everybody their tattoos?"

"_Everybody? _You mean, everybody in TR?"

"No, I mean everybody at the retirement home. Yes, I mean everyone at work! And yes, they _all_ have to get a tattoo. Kind of like an unspoken rule, really."

"Why?" I asked skeptically.

"One, because he won't charge,-"

"Unless you're being a pain," The male piped.

"And two, the numbers he tattoo are all in _his _style, so it's like a verification code, if you will. We wouldn't want any fakes, right?" She said as she parked into the parking lot tower and made her way up to the very top.

"I guess not…" I mumbled.

"Tch, it's not like they could mimic us. We aren't the easiest people to copy, ya know," The man quipped.

"But don't forget they have professionals for that," Cherry stated.

"They?" I ask as she parked and watched Caleb get my stuff out of the car.

"People who want to find out what's going on down here. Being as it's 'illegal' and all. Now, c'mon, let's go," The ivy-haired female said hurriedly as we all rushed in the elevator and once it got going, I noticed that Caleb did the exact same thing Shuhei did. From the opening of the cover to entering the pin, he did everything _exactly _like him. Except I forgot one tiny detail.

When the shaft dinged open, the lights immediately shut off and I felt a sharp edge rest on the edge of my neck,

"Lozinka?" A man asked. But this time, I could sense that it was a different voice this time.

"Držite ga tajna, now move outta the way, Dylan, I haven't got the time to mess with you," Cherry said as she pushed him to the side and passed through the pair of double doors with the lights turning on to illuminate her path with every step she took.

And when they all lit up, they revealed a blonde man with half his face covered by a scarf and in his hand, was a long knife whose blade was right on my throat, which made me scream in fear and hide behind Caleb.

"Did you _really _have to pull the Freddy Krueger on her, Dylan? I mean, come on," The silver-haired male grumbled.

The strange man groaned as he tucked the weapon away and pulled down his scarf, revealing a rather large stitched up wound on the side of his face.

"Don't be a joy kill. After all, I was just doing my job."

"And is that to scare the living hell outta me?" I hissed as I caught my breath, noticing the particularly familiar appearance of the intimidating man.

He was quite attractive up close, but that was because of his fiery streak that was written all over his face. His golden hair was very similar to Strawberry's hair except that it was a shade or two darker and some strands reached all the way to his shoulder. That, and his body was a bit more wiry, but still muscular.

"Wait, what's your name?" He asked.

"Uh, Rukia?"

Unlike Caleb's reaction, he just chuckled as he put the scarf over his mouth and said, "I figured as much. Strawberry told me on the lookout for you. He's waitin' inside, ya know."

I tried not to grin once I heard that, so I just crossed my arms while I walked on ahead.

"I have no time for him. I have to meet with Boss and I'm already late."

"What do you mean? Boss isn't here."

I could've sworn my eye twitched as I turned around to look at the blonde.

"You better not be fucking around," I growled.

"I'm not, I swear. Strawberry told me to tell a Rukia Boss wants her to meet with Strawberry instead since Boss-"

"That bastard," I hissed as I stomped off and slammed open the double doors, leaving him and Caleb behind. I started searching for the Berry, but I was too frustrated at the time to even focus.

"You're late."

My mouth dropped the instant I heard his voice and as soon as I tried to put up my walls, he just easily broke them by giving me a simple look.

"I know," I mumbled under my breath.

"And exactly _why _are you late?" The auburn-haired male asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Because I…overslept."

"Yeah, your hair told me as much. Come with me, we'll talk in my office," He said as he took my hand and opened a door which led to a staircase and we climbed a couple of stories before we finally reached to the final floor, where a strange, ivory door was waiting for us.

I opened it and it led to a small room with three _more _doors and John took me to the one that was all the way to the right and my breath was taken away by the sight in front of me. It was a room covered painted in crème and the shade of blue that exactly like the jewel from my necklace. I walked on my own and took a personal tour. Even though it was just a sunroom all the way up, it felt like it was so down-to-earth and I felt some of my previous stress melt off just by being there.

"Welcome to my office," The man said as he grabbed my shoulders and chuckled.

"_This _is your office?" I asked bewilderedly.

"Technically, yes. It's the only place where I can focus and actually get something done. That, plus I think I did a rather nice job with the interior decorating, wouldn't you agree?"

"Y-Yeah," I agreed, still amazed.

"Now, onto our meeting," He said as he took a seat on the cushion on the floor and pulled out a folder from the drawer of the small table across from him. "Well? Aren't you coming?"

"Uh, s-sure," I stuttered as I took a seat and analyzed the contents of the papers he pulled out.

"So, let me go over some of the main things of your job, but before I do," He said suddenly getting up again, "You want a drink, or a bite to eat?"

"I'm fine, thanks," I mumbled, seeing that the not-so-upbeat Strawberry who used to keep me on my toes was a bit troubled, and I couldn't figure out why. I really wanted to ask what the problem was, but I figured that I shouldn't get involved in it, whatever it was.

He came back with an entire liquor bottle and a glass, but judging from the smell, it was something that I had never tried before. Something strong. Very strong. And expensive, too.

"Now," John said as he poured a cup, "Let's get to business. You'll be working Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 'til 1 and Sunday from 7 'til 12. Now, we need to go over what you'll do. So, other than your basic 'serve and enjoy' there are other things you need to do as well. One of them is keeping an eye on the stock. You need to make a list of what to get and yadda yadda and we'll have someone go out and get them the next day…"

While he was rambling on and on about every other important, tiny detail of my job requirement, I was thinking about what Renji and Boss had said. I knew that sometime today, I would have to confront the redhead about it, but until then, I had to think of what to say since I was horrible at these kind of things.

"Rukia!"

"What?"

"What did I just say?"

"I need to tell someone to get the groceries when I run out."

"I mentioned that ten minutes ago," He sighed disappointedly as he put away the papers. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just really sleepy."

"Mhmm," John said as he poured another glass and handed it to me. "Drink it."

I took it up to my nose and sniffed it, not recognizing the strong scent.

"What is it?" I ask.

"A special kind of alcohol. Now, drink up. It'll wake you up."

"I dunno-"

"Just drink it," He said with a bored look on his face.

"Fine," I grumbled as I gulped it down, feeling the strong aftertaste a second later. "Yeah, that definitely did the trick. So, I'll just have another sip," I giggled as I poured my glass and quickly refilled it, repeating the cycle until he took the alcohol away from me.

"It sure doesn't look like it, so, you must be lying. You're _not _sleepy, something's wrong. And you promised you would tell me what's wrong so why aren't you?"

"John-"

"How come you would tell other people but not me? That's not right."

"Whaddaya…ya know whut?" I said as I got up and steadied myself. "I _rully _dun have a time fo dis so-"

The impact of the liquor got to me and I lost my balance (on a flat surface) but the Strawberry got up just in time to break my fall and catch me in his arms.

"Alright, whether you like it or not, you're going to be with me for a while. You're beyond wasted and you only drunk-"

"6 glasses," I hiccupped with glee.

"Yeah, you definitely need some rest," He said as he carried me to the sofa and set me down.

"Whatshuu doin? Imma purrrrrfeck-a-tally foin!"

"Shut up and get some sleep," He growled as he covered me with a blanket. I started to lose my consciousness by the second and before I knew it, I had passed out and once I woke up, I had such a hangover. And a painful one at that.

"Umph," I said as I got up from the floor, forgetting that I usually move a lot in my sleep. Once my eyes caught sight of the sleeping man across from me, I covered my mouth like the idiot I was, hoping that I didn't wake him up, but he only shifted slightly, and I let out a sigh of relief.

I decided now was a good time to take a bath so I could have some peace and quiet.

While I stripped myself free of all of my clothes and waited for my bath to fill up, I glanced at the clock on the wall, reading '7:42'. I turned the faucet and slid myself in, enjoying the warm temperature gradually unwinding the tensed muscles in my back and shoulders releasing, before coming up to the surface once again, and then, I heard a knock.

"Oi, Rukia?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," I said as I sunk into the water so my breasts would be covered by the foam of the bath as he walked in with a somewhat solemn look on his face and took a seat on the toilet across from me as he rested his elbows on his knees and stared me down.

"Do you feel any better now, lutko?" He asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, now that I slept a bit, I feel great," I said with a subtle smile. "I'm sorry about the whole alcohol thing. I just..."

"It's fine, don't worry. Just wondering, do you want to spend the night?"

I stared down at the sea of bubbles while I held my chin with my palm and debated on the decision.

"I mean, it's totally up to you, but it's getting kinda late and I didn't know what'd you want to do."

"Uhm, I'll think it over," I said as I ducked underwater for a second and then rose back up, seeing the auburn-haired man slightly worried.

"I'll just go out and get some stuff and you can tell me your decision then. That's plenty of time, right?"

"Mhmm," I grinned, as I closed my eyes to enjoy the warm water, but once I opened them up again, I saw that Strawberry was leaning over so he could give me a quick peck, so I raised myself a little higher so his lips met mine for a short moment before we broke, and I giggled as he walked away with a grin and left the apartment/living space or whatever the hell it was.

A couple of minutes later, I was done with cleaning myself up and grabbed a towel to cover myself up when I just realized—I couldn't find my clothes.

I went into the bedroom in search of my luggage, but it was right then that I remembered that Caleb had my luggage and I groaned in agitation and opened up the closet to see if John had any clothes and I picked out a wrinkled, crimson, long-sleeved polo that was tossed to the shelf on the side and slid it on and buttoned it all the way up to the notch right above the breasts I didn't have.

My eyes looked at the mirror to the side and saw that the shirt reached right above my knees, which was fine with me.

Even though my clothing dilemma was solved, something was still bothering me. When I was in the tub, I had been trying to figure out what could've possibly been behind those two other doors.

I quickly rushed out of the room and to the one with the three doors due to the excitement building up inside of me. However, instead of rushing straight to the one in the middle, I chose the one to the left, but to my disappointment, it was locked, so I had no choice _but _to go to the last remaining door.

And once I went in and turned the lights on, it felt as if every detail, every color, and every scent was _perfect_. Even though there was nobody there, I could sense that this place used to be someplace big, where the whole place used to filled with people being entertained by the performer on the giant stage in front of them.

I slowly walked toward the piano and took a seat opened the case and blew off the dust that had gathered on the ivory keys. The second I took a seat on that bench, I heard a familiar piano piece ring through my ears and my body was urging me to play it out loud through my fingertips. I started playing with the precise ease and tempo and I soon started to feel the music flow through me.

And in the middle of the song, I saw my tears hit the keys, but I didn't know what it was from. It was then when it hit me that the piece I had been playing was Renji's favorite piece that he said he remembered his mother singing to him when he was little and the thought of that red-haired bastard made me furious.

"What the fuck is his problem?" I yelled in frustration as I slammed on the keys.

"You know, I paid good money for that piano," a voice said from the shadows and it was none other than John himself. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't take your anger out on it."

"I'm sorry," I muttered embarrassedly as he made his way over to where I was.

"So, who's '_he?_" He asked as he wrapped his arms around my neck while standing behind me and tugging at the polo I was wearing. "Is this my shirt?"

"Uh, yeah, haha," I chuckled nervously as I turned around. "I forgot my luggage. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, you really need to stop apologizing. Rukia, listen to me," The man said as he grabbed my arms and took a seat next to me. "I'm telling you this because I care about you, okay? You haven't been acting like yourself lately, and frankly, it's worrying me deeply. You aren't on anything, are you?"

"Wha? No, that's not it. It's nothing, really," I said as I got up, but he wouldn't let go of the shirt I was wearing.

"Rukia, please," He said softly as he looked up at me with those deep, chocolate eyes of his.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" I mumbled.

"Mhmm," He said as he swooped me up and I quickly dried the tears that had escaped from my eye before the man could notice. I rested my head against his chest, my arms around his neck while he took me to the bedroom, which made me _highly _suspicious. I wasn't ready for that kind of action.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Uh, the bed-"

And I jumped off of him and glared at him sternly, as those tears stubbornly began to fall again.

"Listen to me and listen to me good," I said as I swallowed my tears and caught a breath of air. "I…am _not _having a good day, you h-hear me? And just because I'm emotionally weak right now, I won't let you take advantage o-of me and screw me and-"

"Who said I would do that in the first place?" The man asked sternly.

"Oh, don't give me that shit! Why else would you take me to a bedroom?"

"Because it's somewhere else, as you requested, and I thought this place would be ideal for you to…let go. Rukia," he said as he grabbed both of my hands, "I promise I wouldn't do such a thing. Just trust me. I swear to you right here and now, I won't make you cry. Ever."

"And if you do?" I sniffled.

"Then you'll never see me again. I'd be too ashamed to see your face again… so I would run. I'd run as far away as possible-and that there is my just reward for making you cry. I promise you, I will never do something like that," He said in barely a whisper as he squeezed my hands. "So, don't cry, okay?"

"Mhmm," I said as I dried my eye with the sleeve of the polo as we took a seat on the bed. I let out a sigh as I laid back with my hands behind my head and closed my eyes for a moment to think where to begin.

"Just relax," he said as he laid next to me and pulled me up against his chest. "I have all the time in the world."

I open my eyes, and I'm shocked to see that there is a giant, circular window on the ceiling and all of the stars were out, shining as if there was no tomorrow.

"I really don't know where to begin," I mumbled as I chewed on my nail, but John moved my hand away from my mouth.

"Don't do that. It makes people think you're weak. Now," John said as he wrapped an arm around me, which made me feel like this was the safest place I would ever be, right there in his arms. "Tell me, who's '_he?_"

I exhale a deep sigh before speaking.

"You see, when I was playing the piano, it kinda reminded me of Renji and just the very thought of him makes me angry."

"Why?"

I told him everything just as it happened and I occasionally glanced up at his face to see his reaction, but it was solid as a stone.

"So, he wants you to just completely forget about me and pretend as if you didn't meet me?"

"Pretty much."

"Tch," He growled.

"It's…it's all my fault."

He looked up at me with eyes wide open.

"It's my fault for getting involved and-"

"You didn't do anything," He said as he moved a stray strand out of my face while continuing to stare back at me with those eyes I loved so much. "So, don't blame yourself. The only one he's mad at is me and if he's as mad as you say he is, then he needs to come talk to _me _about it, not bitch at you for something you-"

"But that's the thing. If I hadn't gotten so attached to you as he said, then, he wouldn't have-"

"It's not his place to judge your relationship with me."

I felt really guilty about not telling the man about the part where I told Renji he and I were nothing, but here we are, laying on the same bed and talking crap about him. I felt horrible, as if knives were stabbing my heart, but I knew I couldn't tell him. I just couldn't.

"He's just…worried."

"A bit _too _worried if you ask me," John growled with a slightly curled lip. "Besides, why would he be in the first place?"

I looked away awkwardly in response, thinking that he should very well know why.

"Because I don't know a single thing about you."

"And I don't either."

"Then this is a fucked up relationship if you ask me," I joked.

"I'd definitely say this one will be remembered."

From the way he said it, it almost made me feel as if he was going to sever all ties with me, but then he lifted me chin and analyzed every inch of my face.

"But this one will definitely last," He grinned.

"But it won't, knowing Renji. After all, he _is _my best friend. Knowing that he doesn't quite 'approve' bothers me."

"Well, if he wasn't such a bitch, then everything'd be just fine."

"But it's not like that. I know. I've known that man almost all of my life. And he's been with me through a lot of…difficult…experiences and he just doesn't want to see me get hurt again. That's all."

"But-"

"End of discussion."

"But I-"

"Nope."

"You-"

"I'm not listening."

"Je-sus!" He said as he grabbed my shoulders and flipped me onto the bed, so that he was right on top of me and his face was inches away from mine with his deep brown eyes locked onto mine.

"Can I talk now?"

I didn't know whether to be impressed, scared, or both at the ability to turn me over in less than three seconds.

"Holy crap," I said in a whisper.

"Now," John said as he looked down at me. "What did you mean 'get hurt _again_'? What happened?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Why are you avoiding the question?"

"Because I don't want to bring up the past!" I hissed.

"You're going to have to get over it one day!"

"Well, that day isn't today," I growled as I snaked out of his grasp, but he had a grip on my shirt and wouldn't let me move.

"You said you had all the time in the world," I said, not even turning my face to look at him. "So, just wait. Wait until I've become strong enough to tell you what happened. This time, I'm making _you _a promise. I give my word that once I gather up the courage, I _will _tell you. Everything. But right now," I said, shutting my eyes so the tear could finally fall out of my eye, "I'm weak. I can't do it."

He let go of my shirt as I walked to the door, leaving him with the words, 'Excuse me' before I closed the door but surprisingly, I felt no guilt. I just knew that I needed some space. So, the only place I _could _go while wearing only a shirt would be the piano room and once I got there, I turned on the lights once again and took a look around the room, seeing some major renovations that were direly needed, but back then, I could only do a little at a time, so I got to work.

I got the tables that were stacked on top of another and arranged them while I quickly dusted them off and got the candles that were hidden behind the piano and put one on each table, lighting them up with a cracked BIC lighter I found next to them and with a few lighting adjustments and the moving of some furniture, it almost looked as if it were a small lounge. I was finally content with how the place looked and the only thing that bothered me was the piano. It seemed so dull and out-of-place.

I went over with a candle to examine it, and put it down on its back while I put some more lights on it, and then I was a bit happier. But when I took a seat on the black bench, I felt so at ease that I started singing out loud (which is something I normally wouldn't do) and then, I had the song playing in my head, and I couldn't help but bring the notes to life as I started to speak louder with each second.

"_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry,  
You don't know how lovely you are._

_I had to find you,  
tell you I need you.  
Tell you I've set you apart._

_Tell me your secrets,  
And ask me your questions.  
Oh, let's go back to the start  
_

_Running in circles,  
coming up tails.  
Heads on the science apart  
_  
_Nobody said it was easy,"_ I said as I wiped away a tear before letting out a breath that had been kept in for far too long.

"_It's such a shame for us to part,_" he said.

My jaw dropped at the sound of the voice in utter disbelief and I froze there on the seat, afraid to look around and see the face that I feared so much.

"It's been a long time, Rukia."

I closed my eyes and exhaled a nervous sigh.

"What are you doing here, Kaien?"

"Now, now, I'd thought you'd be _happy _to see me," He laughed.

"Why would I ever want to see _you_?"

"Awh, come on, babe, you know you miss me."

I scoffed.

"How cute. You're still playing hard-to-get. You haven't changed a bit, Rukia."

I turned around and scowled at the man, who was looking back at me with that classical devious grin of his that used to make me swoon over him, but now, it only made my blood boil.

"So, how's Renji and Shuhei?"

"Much better now that _you _left."

"Eh, I don't think you're telling me the whole truth now," He said as he scratched his dark indigo-hued hair and I noticed that not a single detail had changed in his appearance since the last I saw him.

"So, what's this I hear about your boyfriend? He looks a lot like me, don't you think?" Kaien smirked.

"He isn't my boyfriend. He's just a friend. And he's _nothing _like you."

"A friend that you happened to fall head-over-heels for, right?"

"Don't be absurd," I scowled. "I've only known him for a couple of days-"

"And you're already thinking of sleeping with him. You've gotten quite pathetic, my dear."

"That was the farthest thing from my mind. You don't know anything."

"I know that you're about to go insane from all of this 'secret' business, right?"

"I said you don't know _anything_!"

"You seriously think I don't know you, do you, Rukia? I've known you for years. You seriously can't expect that I can't tell what you're thinking after all this time. For example, you avoided that question because you're afraid to admit I'm right. You know, it seems like ever since I left, you've went into this huge slump."

"Shut up," I hissed.

"Face it. You can't even think straight. And why is that, you ask? It's because I'm back, baby. And maybe not now, but _soon_, you'll come back. You'll see."

"Shut up!"

"See, you're driving yourself crazy because you can't decide whether to go with the guy who's hiding secrets from you or me, the one who made your life worth living."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I yelled,

"My point is proven. You've gone crazy now that you know I'm back. But you'll never know where or when I'll be. I might be in the same store, or at your work, disguised as someone else, or even in your house."

"GET OUT!" I shrieked. "Get out, get out, get out!"

"Ah, those words ring a bell or two," He grinned. "Good times."

"Why can't you just leave me alone? You ruined my life enough already!"

"The only reason why I'm here is because sooner or later, you'll leave that piece of shit and come back to me, like it's supposed to be, because in reality, you are practically yearning for me. And _he _is just my replacement. Now, am I right…or am I right?"

I was so infuriated at this joke that I went over and slapped him across the face, which made him growl in anger, but instead of striking back like I had expected, he only let me off with a fierce scowl.

"Hmph, you've gotten a bit stronger, Rukia. Seems like you really care about this one."

"That's none of your business. Just get out," I growled, pointing to the door with my outstretched arm.

"Not until I tell you why I came here in the first place," Kaien said as he walked closer towards me, but I backed up in apprehension.

"Easy now, I promise I won't try anything."

"Heh, since when's the last time you kept a promise?" I inquired with a cocked eyebrow.

"Rukia."

I look up at him, seeing the same expression that Strawberry wore once he made his promise.

"Go on."

"I came here to tell you to be careful with this one. Sure, he may not be as handsome as yours truly, but this one is trouble."

"You were quite the handful yourself, if I recall correctly."

"My point is, you're clearly not ready to handle this kind of shit. So, that's why I'm giving you this opportunity to come back."

"Pft, like I'd ever go back to you!"

"_Really? _Come on, now. _I _was the one who made your life worth living, not him!"

"That isn't a good enough excuse."

"Anyways," He said, avoiding the topic, as he waved around his hand, "I'm giving you the opportunity to leave _him _for a better, non-drama-filled life with me."

"You had your chance and you screwed it up big-time, Kaien. But I'm surprised at how calmly I'm taking all of this in."

"Oh, that? There's a logical explanation for that."

"And just what is that?"

"You missed me."

"As if," I hissed.

"Then why are you so cautious around Strawberry boy? Hmm? And what a pathetic name at that. I mean, this man has a codename after a fuckin' fruit! Come on now!"

"Wait, what do you mean I'm being 'cautious'?

"It's exactly what you think it is. Your sense or instincts or whatever you want to refer to them are always acting up when you're around him, correct? Like he's hiding something?"

"Yeah, but I thought that was because he had some stuff going on with Boss and stuff and-"

"Okay, sure, keep on believing that," The man said as he started to fade away.

"Wait! What do you mean?"

"If I say anything else, I'll ruin the surprise and we both know how much you hate having those ruined, right, Rukia?"

"Rukia?"

"Rukia!"

"Rukia!"

"Byakuya, lemme sleep five more minutes!" I grumbled as I turned over on my stomach and folded the pillow over my head.

"Are you going to keep on talking? Because it's getting annoying."

I sit up, finding that I had fallen asleep on the bed, but I didn't find the person who the voice belonged to until I turned around and saw the auburn-haired man sitting on a loveseat across from the couch with his legs outstretched and a pair of solid black frames on him that made the man look quite business-like.

"How long was I out?" I yawned.

"About 4 or 5 hours."

"Well, what time is it now?"

"'Round midnight."

"Well, why are _you _still up?"

"I have to finish this paperwork that I need to turn in by tomorrow."

"Huh, look at you, getting to business."

"I told you, this place is the only place where I _can _get anything done."

"So, is this like, your _actual _home or something?" I asked as I sat up and pulled the blanket over my knees since I felt a cold chill.

"Of course not."

"Then why don't you go home?"

"I can't just leave a guest here. Besides, I told you already, I need to get stuff done."

"You've got a lot crankier, you know? You're getting old."

Almost instantly, I saw one of his eye twitch once I said that.

"I'm not old, and that's that."

"Says the geezer who's in denial," I teased.

"You know what?" He said as he took off his frames and shook his pen at me, "At least I'm not a snotty brat."

"Oh, please. I'm 21 years old! I think it's too late to be calling me by that name, don't you think?"

"Age is just a number. Just look at Clinton. He's a senior and he has the libido of a 20-year-old."

"If that was supposed to be a joke, you failed miserably."

"Who ever said it was one in the first place?" The man said as he wrote down some stuff on the papers, "I was just proving my point, after all."

"Okay, gramps," I said as I laid back onto the comfy bed and looked up at the window above me, seeing the sea of stars greeting me with their shine.

"Hey, John?"

"Hmm?"

"Just wondering, what happened?"

"What do you mean what happened? You were here. You got upset that I kept asking about your past so you walked out of the room and then I heard a 'thud', so I checked it out. Turns out you collapsed near the doorway, so I picked you up and brought you here 'gain."

"I…collapsed? From what? How?"

"That's what I should be asking _you_. I figured that it was the alcohol that's probably still in your system."

"I suppose," I said as I sat up and tried to get a peek at what he was working at. "What kinda paperwork are ya doing?"

"Scheduling, events, crap like that. I have a life _away _from that, you know? I can't deal with all of that every waking moment."

"I thought _Strawberry _could handle anything," I teased.

"Tch, yeah right. Why do you think Boss is out so often? He needs some R&R now and then too, ya know?"

"Yeah," I mumbled as I stared up at the sky once again out of hesitation at the thoughts that were running all over the place in my mind. "I've been thinking. You remember me mentioning about my brother, Byakuya?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Jeez, uh," I said as I tapped my fingers nervously. "Well, you see-"

"You want me to meet him, right?"

"…Please? I felt bad about telling him about you and him not knowing and it just bothers me. BUT, but, but, but, if he likes you, then Renji will have nothing to worry about, right?"

"I dunno, Rukia. I'm not a big fan of people," He grumbled.

"Oh, come on! Please?" I asked as I turned to face him and pouted a little.

"Pouting won't do you any good," The auburn-haired man said nonchalantly as he continued to work on his stupid paperwork.

"Pretty please? It would mean a lot to me," I said, smiling subtly as he looked up and stared at me for a moment before returning to his papers.

"Fine, but-"

"Thank you so much!" I squealed with excitement as I jumped off that bed and practically choked the man because I was hugging him so tightly. He was surprised at first, but then he smiled and then put his arms around me as he chuckled softly, but then I heard the sound of a paper crinkling and I looked to the side, seeing that my knee had accidentally wrinkled a paper he was working on.

"I'm sorry about your paperwork, I didn't mean to-"

"Fuck the paperwork. I'd much rather focus on you," He smirked as he brought me closer, until our noses bumped into each other and we were eye-to-eye, and a devious smile unraveled on his face, which told me that he had something up his sleeve. But it wasn't anything what I had been expecting.

Instead, he swooped me up and took me to the small space with the three doors and opened the door all the way to the right, which led to one more flight of stairs and when we climbed it, he set me down so he could unlock the door and open it for me as I walked on ahead with my mouth hanging open in awe. It was the roof of the building and the view above was just _spectacular_. They were better than the ceiling window by a tenfold.

I felt the wind dance in my hair as I let it go, and felt the cold rush on my skin, which made every single one of its hairs stand up. I walk closer to the edge (with John watching behind me with a slight worry of caution) and saw one of New York's main streets crowded with taxis and the busy lights were so bright, I could barely see the man because of their luminance.

"Beautiful view, ain't it?" Strawberry asked as he grabbed me from behind and rested his chin on my collarbone.

"It's amazing," I gushed, as I held onto his hands that were around my abdomen.

"This is why I like it over here better than my home. It never fails to amaze me and best of all, I'm the only one who knows about it. Well, I guess you do too, as of today."

"What do you mean nobody else knows?" I asked curiously as I look back at him. "What about Cherry and-"

"Nope. Nobody else. Not even those who I'm close with."

"But…why?"

"I need somewhere to get away from people. I told you I'm not a fan of them, you know? Hey, we need to get you back inside, you're gonna catch a cold by only wearing a shirt," John nagged.

"It's fine. I'm not cold," I giggled. "Just stay like this and I'll be fine."

"I dunno, I have a lot of stamina and I could stay like this all night, but _you_, however, are gonna freeze your ass off."

And right then, I had to sneeze, which completely contradicted what I had just said.

"Told you so."

"Fine, we'll go back inside," I sniffled. And we went back to the bedroom, where I was back to doing nothing and he was almost done with the stack of papers, but I read on his face that something was troubling him, but when he looked up at me, I quickly darted his gaze and looked up at the ceiling as my cover.

"Rukia?"

"Yes?"

"You mind if I ask a question?"

I lowered my eyes at him as a warning not to go where I told him not to, but he shook his head.

"It's not that, it's about something you said."

"Well, c'mere and tell me. You feel so far away when you're on that couch."

"Okay, well," He mumbled as he took off his shirt and tossed it to the side while he shrugged in his wifebeater and approached me with an uneasy look on his face as he sat next to me.

"I know it's not my place to 'stick my big nose in your business', but…" John said, looking straight at me with those big brown eyes of his.

"Who's Kaien?"

"Uh, I-I'm sorry, what?" I blundered, caught totally of guard at the question (and in the process, ended up looking like a complete idiot).

"While you were dreaming, you kept on talking and whatever kind of backwater dream you were having this time, you kept on mentioning a guy named Kaien."

"Uhm," I stalled, rolling over on my stomach so I could hide my face from his view, "He was my ex."

"Oh?" He asked with a bit of interest in his voice. "Having sexual fantasies, are you?"

"It wasn't _that _kind of dream, you pervert. It was a very odd one. I hadn't talked or even thought of that man in a couple of years."

"How many specifically?"

"I'd say two or three."

"Why'd you two stop talking?"

I stared down at my feet while I fidgeted with my hands nervously,not wanting to answer that question.

"Well, are you-"

"He left me."

"Oh." He said quietly, looking away in the opposite direction awkwardly.

"But it's whatever," I shrugged and smiled, hoping that he would buy it, because in reality, the wound Kaien left on my heart was still fresh and open, and I hadn't entirely recovered since that 'incident'.

"You loved him a lot, didn't you?"

I only chewed my lip and looked at my hands in front of me and fidgeted with my fingers.

"Yeah," I finally said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but he was my everything," I sighed, "But people change. And that's what eventually led to the downfall of our relationship."

I felt his hand creep under mine and squeeze it. I look to my left, seeing a subtle smile on his face.

"I'm sorry to hear that but just so you know, you can come here whenever and tell me what's wrong. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I kinda figured when you kept on asking me questions all of the sudden," I smiled, then giving him a quick peck on the cheek, seeing the innocent face of a boy when I did so.

"Thank you."

He nodded, then pulling me to his chest so that we were laying side-by-side and kissed me on the nose while his arms were still around me, making me feel safer than I have ever felt before.

"So, I guess you're spending the night?" The auburn-haired man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have no choice, remember?" I ask, pinching the fabric of the wrinkly shirt I was wearing. "But I'd much rather stay here anyways."

"You know," He says, messing with my hair. "I'm extremely glad you stayed. It made this night a hell of a lot better."

And this time, I really couldn't stop my wide grin from showing, because it made me feel…wanted.

"Thank you," I said in barely a whisper.

"You idiot, why are you thanking me? I should be thanking _you_ and-"

"For listening. I appreciate it. It seems that I was about to open a bit more about my past because of you."

"What about Renji?"

"He knows, but I never had a one-on-one talk about it with him. And whenever he brought it up, it didn't end too well. But don't tell him I've told you about Kaien. I just want this whole stupid fight to be over with him, but if he hears, then he's going to hold a grudge and-

And he stopped my words with a single kiss, which made me feel as if I was walking on air. He and I broke for a short moment and in the short space between us, I looked up at him hesitantly with a bit of fear, since I didn't know why he had stopped.

"Sorry to interrupt ya," He grinned, showing off his dimples for a moment before pulling me towards him once again for a quick embrace, but I couldn't help but think that he reminded me so much of Kaien…and I didn't know whether I should loathe it or love it.

The thought of it made me think, and if I really _did _like it, then wouldn't it be better to settle for the real thing instead? I felt so guilty at the realization that I hated myself for it. I didn't know what I what do if I ever saw him again except for break down in pathetic sob fest/tantrum.

Although I was with Strawberry over here, I couldn't prevent that one, single tear from falling once I reminisced about the past and he just _had _to notice it.

He broke away and looked at me, almost in fear, while I dried it off. But one tear led to another and soon, I was a crying fool. I must've cried so much that week that I could've made an ocean out of those salty drops.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he drew me near his chest and put his head over mine and cradling me as if I was a newborn while I just lost it. I couldn't handle even thinking of what would happen if Kaien came back.

"Bože mili," He mumbled as he held me close and kissed the back of my neck, "You didn't have to push yourself so hard, lutko. I'm sorry that I brought it up in the first place. I'm sorry that I made you go through that pain again."

But I only sobbed even more while I gripped onto his undershirt, and with time, it was completely soaked with my tears, but he didn't mind.

I felt so weak, always needing a shoulder to cry on and I couldn't even get up on my own two legs without some help from someone. I felt so pathetic and useless. I wanted to change how I was, but I didn't know how. I wanted to change for myself, so I wouldn't need to count on others to catch my fall and the only thing that could comfort me was the man's warm touch that within minutes it eased my pain, but he couldn't entirely erase that feeling of disgust within me for being such a coward. Only _I _could change that.

And we stayed like that the entire night and to help time pass, he'd tell me some stories of his past and how he met a few of the people I knew, like Nel and Grimmjow, and his words were so soothing, that I had fallen asleep listening to him talk, but I still felt his warm body right next to mine, and he hadn't loosen his grip on me for a single second and kept me close, as if he was afraid to lose me or something.

So, when I woke up, I was surprised to see that I was alone, but not for long.

"Good mornin', lutko," A voice growled behind me and pounced with a surprise tackle.

"Ha-ha-hey!" I said, barely managing to get out the words because he was handling me by the sides of my stomach, which were _very _ticklish. We rolled until he was on top of me, and then he stopped, examining every inch of my body with slow and careful precision and then smiled.

"You sleep good?"

"Yeah, thanks for letting me spend the night. I really enjoyed it," I gushed.

"In that case, you should spend the night more often, ne?" He mumbled as he lowered his head and kissed me on the neck, which immediately gave me goosebumps. I moved my head to the side so he could have more space, and I felt his warm mouth slowly make its way upwards until he moved to my bottom lip and nipped it for a second before gently sucking on it but then, I put a finger to his lips, surprising him deeply.

"If you have the whole thing in one sitting, then there won't be anything to look forward to, right?" I winked.

His jaw dropped and the corners of his mouth to let out a laugh in disbelief.

"Tch, and you call _me _perverted," The auburn-haired man chuckled.

"Oh, shut up," I giggled as I got off the bed but all of the sudden, I smelled something delicious in the air.

"What's that smell?" I asked curiously.

"Palačinke."

"Huh?"

"Pancakes. C'mon, they're getting cold."

"_You _cooked?"

"Uh…yes? Is that such a big deal?" He asked confusedly.

"No, no, no, not at all! I just didn't expect _you _to make food."

"Expect the unexpected, lutko. You won't be surprised as much. Now, come on, let's eat."

"Okay, but first of all," I said, watching him stop at the doorway to look at me.

"I need pants!" I whined.

"You know, you're one of the few who can pull the pants-less look very well," The man winked as he went into the dinner room, leaving me a face as red as a tomato at the comment.

"Pants-less my ass," I grumbled as I followed him and took a seat and got the floppy pancakes, looking at him with a lost expression

"What?" He said as bit into his meal.

"How do I eat it?"

He covered his mouth to stifle his laughter, but then stopped once he realized I wasn't as jolly as he was.

"Here, I'll make you want. Whaddaya want in it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think of it as a sweet burrito. But longer and not as thick."

Now it was _my _turn to laugh at the comment, feeling so giddy after hearing that come out of his mouth.

"You really _are _a pervert," He grumbled.

"I can't believe you didn't see that coming," I hooted.

"Shuddup," He said as he got some jelly from his plate (and I didn't know where that came from) and wiped it on my mouth, leaving it open in disbelief.

"'I can't believe you didn't see that coming'", He mocked.

"Shut up and eat," I growled, still trying to figure out how the hell I was supposed to eat the circular and ridiculously thin pancake.

"I can't when you look like an idiot."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Just stay still," He said as he got closer and kissed me suddenly, gently sucking on my lips for a moment. I was surprised by such a bold move out of the blue, but I went with it. And right as it ended, his tongue traced along my lower lip and stayed at a particular spot for a moment until he broke, looking at me with a slight grin.

"I got it."

"Got what?"

"Sometimes, you're so unbelievably slow, it's not even funny."

"Shut up and tell me how the heck to eat this already!" I hissed, changing the subject.

And then he told me, and it turns out it was fairly simple and I made a big deal out of nothing, like usual. When we were done, we had cleaned up and I was at the door, waiting for him to get ready, but he looked at me with a funny look on his face.

"No way in hell am I letting you walk out the door like that," John nodded disapprovingly. "Take off that shirt and go get changed."

"But I can't go in the clothes I was in yesterday! That's icky, and gross, and people are gonna think that-"

"Yeah, I know how that road goes. That's why I went to your house and got some clothes for you. It's in the closet."

"But-"

"That guy, Starrk, gave me a spare. I told him that I was close."

"Oh. Well, I guess I better get changed. And you?" I asked as we walked to the bedroom and I got out my stuff, turning around so he wouldn't see.

"Of course Imma get changed."

I heard some hangers clashing as he got out a couple of things and once I got the undergarments on, I unbuttoned the polo and tossed it over my head, hearing that he had caught it, but he gave it back.

"Keep it."

"Why should I?"

"Don't you wanna keep a bit of me with you when I'm not there?"

"You dumbass, I don't want your stinky clothing."

"I literally just washed that one when you picked it up. So if it's stinky, it's because of you."

"Shuddup," I said as I clutched it close to my chest. "But what good does it do you?"

"Oh, believe me, I didn't go unrewarded."

"Huh? What do you-"

I gaped as I turned around, seeing that he was twirling a piece of my 'special' underwear, and I dived for it, embarrassed that he had such a thing.

"You're the king of all perverts!" I hissed as I got up and snatched the garment from his hands.

"What am _I _supposed to have now?" He whined.

"Oh, gee, I dunno. Something _normal_ like a picture maybe?"

"That's too boring. Besides, we don't have a camera, case you haven't noticed.

"Then it sucks for you," I said as I slipped on my jeans and secured my jacket while I laced up my boots.

"You better wait for me," He growled as he took off his wifebeater, and I couldn't help but stare at his rock-hard abs, but I tried to look away.

"They never disappoint you, do they?"

"Shut up," I growled, waiting impatiently for his to finish up. I felt one arm snake around my waist and pull me, and I felt his hot breath trickle on the surface on my ear.

"You know, you're absolutely irresistible when you make that face."

My cheeks flushed at least ten shades and I slowly look up at him and his brown eyes, that were so gentle all of the sudden. I felt the hairs on my skin rise and the butterflies in my stomach wouldn't stop. Ididn't know whether it was his embrace or his eyes that drove me wild but either way, I didn't want to move.

"John."

"Hm?" He asked, raising innocent eyebrows.

"Thank you. For last night."

"I told you, _I _should be the one thanking _you_. Now, hush and-"

"Wait a second," I said as I got closer toward him and examined the wound that I missed earlier, and then I looked up at him.

"It's fine."

I unpeeled the giant bandage, seeing that it had somewhat healed last time I saw it, but not by a lot. It made me feel anxious, even a bit angry, knowing that he had gotten hurt. I don't know why, but it made me kind of mad.

I put my hands on his chest for support as I stand up on my tip-toes and stare at it, feeling a tiny bit bothered by seeing that the wound had yet to go away. My fingers start from the bottom up, slowly tracing over every curve and every nook and cranny possible on his toned abdomen. The digits stayed in the middle of his torso and carefully made their way up on the wounded path, until they stopped at each collarbone, while the thumbs were rubbing the skin on it in circles.

"You're bothered by the wound, aren't you?" He said in almost a whisper, but I said nothing and only stared at with close examination while my hands slowly went back down the chest and stopped right above his nipples, and then I sighed before I finally looked up.

"I don't want to see you getting hurt…because of me."

"You idiot," The man chuckled, and then gasped in pain as the wound started opening up again.

"Goddammit," I hissed as I ran to the bathroom and searched for a first-aid kit and rushed back, seeing the man sprawled out on the floor in pain, barely managing to breathe while clutching his chest. I kneeled towards him and tried holding his arm down from the side, but he easily flung them off with ease and went back to his chest. I had no choice.

I had to straddle him and I could see on his face that the pain was still aching as he had just got it. I wasted no time in getting out the gauze and everything else to make sure that this wound wouldn't open (again).

But then real trouble came was when I had to put alcohol on his wound, and he grabbed my wrist right as I was about to pat it down.

"Don't you dare," He hissed.

"It's needs to get disinfected."

"I. Don't. Care. That-"

"Too late," I said as I swiftly switched to the other hand and got the spot, making him groan in pain and all of the sudden, I feel hands yank my shirt and pull my downwards and my lips landed on his. He put so much raw emotion and force into the kiss, that I could barely think, much less breathe. But then I figured it out—he was hurting.

My mind flashed back to the time when his wound opened up in the park, and he held onto my wrists while the pain was stinging him like a thousand needles. I remember clearly how guilty he looked and he was ashamed that he had left a bruise without even realizing it. So, I guess the kiss was a way to save me from getting hurt. Weird, but considerate.

I could faintly hear him shudder under me as I lifted my head and shot him a look.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Uhm, yeah," He said grinning, at then looking at the position I was in. "Forward much?"

"You know, you really need to stop picking on me. It's because of these unexpected situations that I need to do what needs to be done."

"Oh, really?" The auburn-haired man, flashing me a wide, mischievous grin. "Your face says so otherwise."

"What?" I said, turning around and looking at the mirror that hung on the wardrobe's door and glanced at it, seeing that my face was completely flushed.

"But," John said, sitting up, "I'm not complaining."

"You better not," I chuckled as I got up and pulled him up and as I started to walk away, he pulled me back and wrapped his arms around me so that his back was against mine and his mouth was right next to my ear.

"I still don't see why you're doing all of this."

I was silent, asking myself the same question in my head.

"But you have no idea how grateful I am," He whispered in my ear.

"Just promise me something."

"What?"

"Try not to get hurt."


	6. A Lead

A/N: I'M STILL ALIVE FOLKS:D I haven't forgotten about my lovelies(: Okay, so Imma tell ya straight up, this chapter is almost as long as the first, so I'll star a good place to pause and then pick back up at, okies? And well, lemme ask for your forgiveness on being so late. Well, school had just started and I'm swamped with homework. That, plus I was focusing on my NARUTO fanfic (check it out:D) and I have fanart:D:D:D: ANNNNDDDDD my mom moved back in with my dad (yay:D) so there's still crap all over the house. Oh, and think of this _extremely _long chapter as a gift for being so patient wiff me. I love you all, I really do. And in this chapter, you'll finally figure out who John is 'officially' (if you haven't already), so yay, give me a pat on the back that I finally revealed his identity. And you may notice that Orihime isn't her kind, cheerful self when you read it from me. No, it's not because of OOC-ness. I have a logical and rational explanation for her weird behavior, but you'll find that out in upcoming chapters. She wasn't _always _fucked up in the head. Oh, and this might disappoint some of y'all, but I feel myself starting to shift to the IchiHime side, don't shoot me *shot* :O (that might explain why this chapter is mainly based on them) but don't fret, I'm still keeping the IchiRuki alive. And speaking of Bleach couples, there's some MAJOR GrimmNel at the verrrry bottom and if you're a fan (like moi) I think you'll love the ending(: Gah, this is getting too along and I feel like I'm being too attached to y'all but I seriously need to tell y'all this. Okay, and good news: there is a possibility I might make SP into a manga (in my own version with my own characters):D I already have the non-fanfic story version of it but it takes a while to edit, and cut and all that crap. I'll hold a poll to see who would actually buy it in the future so PLEASE vote (it will be on my profile). And to let y'all know, I AM OPEN FOR ART TRADES/REQUESTS! Just gimme a holler and I'll happily take your request(: (I'M ALMOST DONE, SHUT UP) And there are two quotes that both Ichigo and Nel say and the first one who gets them right will get an exclusive cookie (INSIDER) from moi. Okay, and check out 'Antoine Dodson' on youtube and click the 'Bed Intruder Song'. It's so fucking hilarious, I almost peed my pants. And here's the songs for this chapter (youtube 'em):

Lady GaGa: So Happy I Could Die  
Christina Perri: Jar of Hearts  
Christina Perri: The Scientist  
The Ready Set: Love Like Woe  
T.I. ft. Keri Hilson: Got Your Back (I think this fits Ichigo and Nel:3)

_**READ AND REVIEW PLEEEEAAASSSEEE! **_

Kanita(:

**_EDIT: _**

I forgot to put the translations up here (fail).

_Krvavi Kralj_: Bloody King; Ichigo's favorite gun(:

_Pašteta: _Slavic food; Chicken paste. I know it sounds really gross, but it's really good on bread.

_**EDIT (take 2): **_

God, I feel dumb. If you read the first chapter here, it was because I goofed up bc I rushed and noticed the mistakes here (I have no editor so I try my best to fix the boo-boos here) and I accidentally submitted the first chapter here instead of the sixth. Thank you _Hese Solistis _for pointing that out, haha. Now enjoy~_**  
**_

* * *

"So, you mean to tell me that you have actually found Ichigo Kurosaki's personal journal that may or may not contain information of the man we're looking for?" The head inspector asked with raised eyebrows as he stared his two subordinates down while tapping his fingers rhythmically. Hearing no answer, he spun in his office chair to look at the detectives that were working under him, Rangiku Matsumoto and Shinji Hirako.

"Sir," The woman cleared her throat, "We have only read the first couple of pages, and we have come to a conclusion."

Her boss looked up at her, nearly at the edge of his seat to hear the words that were going to come out of her mouth.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, who has yet to be pronounced if he is dead or not," The woman said, choking back a tear, "is John Collins, an alias made for reasons currently unknown."

"Detective Urahara," Shinji spoke up, "There is word of another possible alias Kurosaki may have had, but we have yet to confirm it."

"Are any other people mentioned in the book so far?" The shaggy blonde heaved a sigh.

"Yes, but-"

"Well, don't just stand there and gawk at me! Go find them!"

Both of the two lower detectives looked at each other solemnly before staring at the ground and it wasn't long until their superior caught on.

"There's something you two aren't telling me. Hirako, speak."

"Sir," The lanky man mumbled as he bit down on his lower lip, "It was Rukia Kuchiki, the main love interest of Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Main?"

"Yes."

The bucket-hat wearing boss broke into a hearty fit of laughter while Shinji passed a confused gaze over his shoulder to his partner.

"I should've known he'd write down his dirty thoughts down on paper. He has the libido of a teenage boy right after watching Girls Gone Wild," The older man chuckled, "So, why the glum looks? You too knew Kuchiki, right? Just ring her up so she can help us-"

"She's dead," Rangiku hissed.

The whole room went silence as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye and started to stream down her face, but she quickly wiped it away so she wouldn't make a whole soap opera about the situation. But she still retained her cool.

"Who told you that?" Urahara asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"We had sources from the insides tell-"

But Shinji's boss interrupted him with a wave of his finger.

"You might want to double-check your sources before you go off believing it. You can end up looking like a fool in the end."

Shinji's lip curled at the remark, but Rangiku shot him a glare as a reminder to chill out.

"Now, I think I'll just read this little blue book for myself and see what the ruckus is all about," Kisuke said as he swiveled his chair with his back to the other two. He held the journal with one hand while the other was shooing them away. "You're dismissed."

And with a subtle nod, Rangiku took her leave with her rebellious friend behind her, grumbling the second he closed the door of his superior's office.

"Tch, fuckin' coot pisses me off," The blonde hissed.

"Shinji, just let it go," Rangiku said.

"But I-"

"Let. It. Go," The woman growled.

"Then…if she _isn't _dead…then…why did he tell me she was dead?"

"He who?"

While the two tried to get to the bottom of their dilemma, their shaggy-haired boss put his feet up on his desk and began reading the text from the doggy-eared page that his two subordinates had left off from last night. Occasionally, he let out a few 'hmph's and even a smile every now and then as he got engrossed in the text, but once it mentioned the woman's name, he froze and put the book down for a second, and looked up to the ceiling above him.

"Rukia…where did you go?"

_Datalog: Day 3_

As strange and as intriguing yesterday was, it was nothing compared to what I would face today. Day by day, Rukia was starting to pique my curiosity even more, and as much as I wanted to know what had _really _happened with her and this 'Kaien' fella, I knew I shouldn't push my luck.

While I was thinking about it, I realized that it was particularly fair for the midget. Although I have only a slight hint at her past, she knew absolutely _nothing _about me. But it had to stay that way. After all, we bosses need to keep a low profile, ne?

Meanwhile, Rukia and I exit the suite (if you could call it that) and she was strangely quiet ever since we left; that is, until she asked me the question.

"John?"

"Hm?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Uhm, are we still…going to see Byakuya?" She asked timidly, but I only rumpled her hair as I gave her a wink.

"A promise is a promise. Which hospital is he in?"

And on the way there, she talked about her brother and I tried to sound interested, but I couldn't focus. That 'Kaien' person she mentioned kept on bugging me, but I didn't know why. She wasn't asking about Orihime, so, why was I so…mad?

As much as I wanted to ask her, I knew I couldn't because I didn't want a repeat of last night.

But…she wasn't the _only _person I could ask.

Once we got to the hospital, we went up to his room and she stopped as she entered the doorway, peering inside the small rectangular glass.

"Hm, he's not here," She mumbled.

"Who?"

"Byakuya's doctor. He said he'd discuss the whole financial stuff whenever I visited again, but it seems like he's out or something."

"Did you _want _to talk to him?"

"Don't make it sound like that!" She growled as she hit me on the arm, "Besides, it wasn't just that. He said something weird too."

"What?"

"He said," She burbled as she tapped her fingers while her eyes were looking straight ahead, "He said he knew me, but I have never met him before in my life."

"Maybe he wasn't who he said he was?" I grin.

"Like an alias? Why would he have one?" She shrugged as she opened the door and went over to the man, giving him a quick hug. I took a seat across from him and waited for my introduction so he could stop glaring at me with those goddamned beady eyes of his.

"Who's this?" He asked, nodding in my direction.

_You put on a good show, Byakuya, _I thought,

"This," Rukia said as she grabbed my shoulders, "Is that friend I told you about. John, you remember?"

"Ah, the one that Renji hates?"

"Byakuya!" Rukia hissed.

And when her back was turned, he and I had a conversation of our own.

_'Fuck you', _I mouthed with a grin.

_'What the hell are you doing here?'_

_ 'Hold on,' _I said as the girl turned around and gave her brother a smile as she handed him a plastic cup of water, in which he smiled that fake grin of his that I hated so much.

"Thank you," He nodded as he took a sip and then slightly narrowed his eyes, "Rukia, do you mind if your 'friend' and I have a little chat? I'd like to get to know him better."

"Sure thing," She smiled as she walked off and when she passed me, she whispered, "Be good."

"I'll try," I shrugged as she closed the door and once we heard her footsteps fade away, we started talking.

"Answer me," Byakuya barked. "Why are you here, and with my sister of all people?"

"She insisted on our 'introduction'. I agreed so she'd be happy."

"Oh, well aren't you just the _perfect _man for her," He growled.

"I'd like to say I'm not half bad," I chuckled as I swung a leg over my knee, but that hypocrite didn't share my sense of humor.

"If I wasn't broken, I'd choke you right now."

"Let me ask you straight up," I said, locking eyes with him, "It's not like I'll give two shits, but why do you disapprove of me so?"

He groaned as he sat up and looked at me, "It's not you, per say. I don't approve of you with her specifically. Certain 'circumstances' will make it difficult for both of you. We both know Orihime won't hesitate to step in if she hasn't already. That, plus Rukia's still recovering from her past relationship.

"Well, damn, how much time does she need?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't understand, Ichigo."

The sound of my _real _name being called caught my attention and I listen to what he has to say.

"The guy she was with-"

"Kaien."

He looks up with eyes wide open.

"How do you-"

"She was talking about him in her dream."

"Dream? You _slept _with her?" He growled through clenched teeth, and the machine that checked his heartbeat beeped rapidly.

"No, no, no, no, no! Chill!" I yell with hands up in protest, "She and I did _not _sleep together! I slept on the couch! I swear to God!"

"If you did, God help me, I'll break every single damned bone in your body with my own two hands."

"I swear, I didn't, believe me! Besides, have I ever lied to you before?"

Byakuya exhaled a deep sigh through his nostrils while he calmed down, and the beeping of the machine had gradually slowed.

"So, how much do you know about Kaien?"

"Only the fact that he was her ex that left her."

"And that's all you _need _to know."

"What do you mean?" I glared.

"It's not my place to tell you what had happened between those two. Only _she _can tell you. Besides," He scoffed, "Why should I tell _you_?"

"Because, Byakuya 'Dragon' Kuchiki, this is an order from your Boss, Ichigo Kurosaki," I hissed as my lip curled in anger, but then that turned into a slight smug smile once I saw the look on face, all shocked and whatnot. Then, his lips formed a thin line, and I couldn't read what he was thinking by the sudden change of facial expression.

"Then. I. Quit."

"You…can't be serious."

"I'm as serious as murder, Kurosaki. After all, what makes you think _I _know the whole story?"

"Hm, maybe it's because you're her _brother?_" I ask sarcastically.

"You're wrong," He shook his head."

"_What?_"

"I'm not her _real _brother. I was married to her sister and I promised her, before she died, to look after Rukia but I have only known her for a year so, I wasn't there at the time of the whole 'Kaien' siutation."

"Doesn't she have a right to know that you're not her real brother?"

"I'll tell her, just not now."

"It seems as if we both have that issue," I sighed.

"But you have more on your plate, don't you?"

"Unfortunately."

"If _you _don't tell her about _your _deal, somebody will. And I know a few particular people that won't hesitate to just to get their revenge on you, Strawberry."

The thought of Orihime cackling in the office once she found out about my alias played in my mind, but I tried to shake it off.

"Ichigo."

I look up at him, seeing coal eyes stare me down with an inexplicable expression in them.

"Why are you trying so hard? After all, she's just another girl to you, isn't she? Why are you so concerned with what-"

"Because…she's my employee."

"How? When? Who-"

"Renji took her to TR a couple of days ago. She made a nice drink. 'Boss' offered her a position so she can help pay for your surgery. He's even doubling her pay. Now, isn't he just a nice fella?"

"Renji, you bastard," The ebony-haired man growled and then looked at me, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Alive and kickin'," I nodded.

"Since I can't do anything in the condition I am in right now," He said as he sighed, with closed eyelids and then opened them back up, preparing for what he was going to say. "I trust you to take care of her. If you can promise me this, then I'll 'approve' you."

"Deal," I grinned as I shook his hand.

"However, you never answered my question."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Why do you care so much for her? And I'm not taking that 'employee' crap as an excuse."

"I owe her a lot," I said as stopped at the doorway, looking back at him. "Oh, and like it or not, you still have a job."

"Ichigo."

I turn back.

"If you _really _want to know what happened," He said, looking out towards the window, "Ask Renji. But only ask him if _he _shows up."

"He'll target her, won't he?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I'll just have to stop him then." I said as I closed his door and when I got out, I ran into Rukia.

"Well? What'd he say?" She asked anxiously.

"He approves," I grinned and the girl squeals with excitement as she gives me an unexpected hug, but I only smile. I couldn't get myself to believe that behind that innocent grin, was a deep, dark past that was so exclusive, her own 'brother' didn't even know until recently.

"Jeez, you have no idea how happy I am. Only problem is," She sighed, "I need to talk to that pain-in-the-ass."

"Just tell him that I have got your brother's approval. After all, your brother is _way _stricter than Renji, right?"

"Yeah, but," Rukia says timidly, "Renji has known me longer."

"Oh? Longer than your own brother?" I play along.

"Let's get some lunch and I'll explain there."

Five minutes later, we were at a local bakery shop having jelly-filled donuts while sitting outside on the patio.

"C'mon, missy, explain what you meant back there."

"I was a street rat. Family abandoned me and it was survival of the fittest. While I was growing up, I met that stupid red-headed bastard and along with a few friends, we formed a make-shift family, if you will. We even made our own hideout, which eventually came to be our home once we started making money. 'All for one and one for all' was our motto. Corny, but true. But, as time passed, people started going their separate ways; including myself. To sum things up, I…got tired of the life I was living, so I just got up and left and one day, the police find me, and they take me to Byakuya, who tells me that he's my long-lost brother. I didn't believe it. I thought there must've been a mistake, but there was proof and everything. Same thing happened earlier, when I was 18. I heard news about my long-lost sister working in a club downtown, but I didn't believe it. Day after, I hear she got kidnapped. I still didn't believe it. It was when the police came and questioned me about her death that I finally believed. I never got a chance to know her."

"So, how does Kaien fit into all of that?"

She shot me a look that made my ass feel like it was sitting on needles.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't hav-"

"He was a street rat as well," She said.

"And Renji?"

"Yeah."

"How old were you exactly when you left that 'life'?"

"19."

"So, you've just adapted to the 'normal' lifestyle just recently, eh?"

"More or less," She shrugs.

"Now, I have something to ask you."

"Hm?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"You can choose—between having this 'normal' life or continue your business with Boss and them. You're not in deep enough that you can't get out, but this is once-in-a-lifetime chance to stop yourself from getting into something you may not be able to handle."

Rukia was quiet then, and fidgeted with her fingers while her eyes avoided my gaze, which made me nervous beyond measure. If she chose yes, then she could still 'associate' with me and the others, but if not, then she would never hear from me or anybody else ever again and while I started to worry, she sighed and then opened her eyes to look at me.

"Are you high or just plain stupid? Of course I'll stick with you and everybody else."

You have no idea how relieved I was to hear those words. I was so happy, that I hugged her instinctively, and I didn't realize it seconds later and I pulled back with a slightly reddened face.

"Ahem, I-I'm sorry. I had no idea what came over m-"

And right then, she gave me a peck on the cheek and giggled as she threw away her trash. While she was gone, I looked at the reflection in the glass of my watch and I saw that my cheeks were as red as cherries.

_Oh hell, _I thought. _Oh, shit. Oh, sweet mother of Jesus. Oh-_

"John?"

"Uh, uhm, yeah?"

"You okay? You were just kinda zoning out there."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit sleepy."

"Well," She said, glancing up at the clock above us, "I better get going."

"What's the rush?" I ask.

"I…kinda want to go home. I get homesick easily."

"Oh. You want me to drive you?"

"Nah, I'll just take a cab," Rukia says as she gets up and when she stopped at where I was, she shot me that innocent smile that seemed to wash away all despair and gloom that there was. As seconds passed, she quickly summoned a taxi with a sharp whistle and right as she got in the cab, I yelled her name and stopping her in her tracks.

"Yeah?" She asked curiously.

I felt everybody's eyes on me due to my yell, but I shrugged it off as I looked at the woman. "Don't worry about Renji, I'll talk to him."

"Really?"

I nodded and then she covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief while her cheeks were raised up in a grin.

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, no prob," I said as I waved her good-bye and once she was gone, I let out a sigh as I put my hands over my head, thinking to myself about just how complicated the confrontation would be, and it only made me nervous the more I thought about it.

"Awh, aren't you nice, Boss."

I jumped at the sound of the voice, but I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

"Easy now. It's just me."

My head turned around and my eyes widened at the sight of the ivy-haired woman in front me.

"Ch-Ch-Cherry? What are you doing here?"

"I _was _getting some sweets, but then I saw you two lovebirds and I couldn't help but watch the show!" She giggled as she adjusted her leather jacket while throwing her hair over her shoulder. "So, what's this I hear about Pineapple head?"

"Nothing really, he's just being a bother."

"I heard."

My eyebrows raised up in suspicion. "From?"

"Rukia. C'mon, don't play dumb. You know she spent the night at my house the day before yesterday. She told me about her 'complications'. That girl really likes you, even if she doesn't realize it. And you're just the same."

"Why did she tell _you_? And what rubbish. She's just-"

"She's like a little sister to me. I…even told her about Grimm's job. But you know that don't you?"

"Yeah, she told 'Boss'. C'mon, I need to get back to TR. Would you mind accompanying me?"

"Sure. But kiddo," She said, pointing a finger to my face, "I wasn't joking about what I said. She really _does _like you. And you like her too~"

"Nonsense. She's just getting attached and-"

"And you like her."

"I do _not _like her."

"I know it when I see it, kiddo," Nel teased as she messed up my hair, "Grimm had the exact same look and I had to have a _friend_ point it out to me because I was blinded by love," The woman giggled.

"Change the subject, _please_," I groaned.

"Well, there _is _something I have been wondering about."

"What?"

She sighed as a hand messed with her hair, "Did you hear any news about Grimm?"

"Yeah, actually. He called me yesterday. Said he had a surprise for you when he gets home."

"Why didn't he call _me_?" She grumbled.

"King was being stingy."

"Whatever," Nel sighed, "So, what's the surprise?"

"I dunno. But he said it was really big."

"That idiot. I don't need anything else. What could he _possibly _get me?"

"I never said it was material-wise."

"Ah, well, it'll come whenever. How much longer is he gonna be there?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, I guess I can help out down at TR since I have nothing to do," She sighed as we went to the station to get on the subway, "So, what exactly happened with you and Rukia yesterday, hmm?"

And on our way to TR, I informed her about what had happened and our visit and almost everything really. But when I got talking about Kaien, I could sense that I was getting agitated once again about the topic, but I took the time to talk it out and being as Nelliel was one of the very _few _people I trusted (and a female at that), I told her about my suspicions about him and what had happened.

"That guy is bad news, I can tell ya right now," She said as we opened the doors to the club, seeing only few people set up props and whatnot.

"Yeah, but what could've he done that's so bad that even Byakuya can't tell me?" I mumbled as I gave it some thought, but I couldn't think straight with the busy atmosphere. That, and something popped up.

"Yo! Straaawberry!"

Both Nel and I turn around, seeing a rather hyper Dylan jog, no, _run_ towards us with that Chesire grin of his that could only mean one thing.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You gotta job," He says, handing me a letter with a seal of a red crown holding the flaps together.

"King wants me, huh?" I asked as I opened it, seeing the grinning boy nod his head.

"But why are _you _so happy and jolly, Dylan?" Nel asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Just read it."

"Hmph," I glared while quickly scanning the contents of the letter and then folded it up inside a pocket, "So, King wants us to do a little extermination, eh? Jesus Christ, you look like yer about to piss yer pants from all of the excitement, kid."

"What can I say? My job gives me joy. I'm just happy I got booked," He said as he showed off his canines.

"You too, huh?" Nel mumbled.

"What? You're worried 'bout ol' Blue?" The blonde asked with a laugh, immediately getting a sharp glare from the teal-haired female. "Don't worry about it. Blue's the best of the best. He can handle it."

"Dylan, I think you've said enough," I warned, sensing an uneasy feeling from the woman, "We have to go in half an hour. Go get things set up."

"Tch, who the fuck do you think you are? Boss?"

As much as I _really _wanted to answer that question, but I bit my tongue because I knew I couldn't tell him nor any other people about who I really was. Including Rukia.

"Nope. But I do hold a higher rank than you so it'd be best for you to shut up a little bit, 'kay?"

"Fuck you," Dylan hissed dryly.

"No thanks, I'm good," I said as I turned to Nel, who was still disheartened. "Hey, c'mon, he'll be home soon."

Despite my try to comfort her, she shook her head in refusal as she closed her eyes, with a stray tear falling to the side. A single laugh came out of her mouth as she wiped the clear drop away with another one starting to take its place.

"I need to have faith, like Rukia said," The ivy-haired woman let out a huff with her eyes closed, and then opened back up to look at me with such hope in her pupils, "I see why you have a thing for her."

"Yeah, she's something else," I chuckled, scratching the back of my neck, immediately thinking back to this 'Kaien' person, and I felt my chest tighten at the thought.

"God, grandpa, hurry up!" Dylan whined, and I felt a vein on my forehead pop to life at the remark.

"Call me old one more time, see what happens," I hissed, and then turned to Nel, "Look, I'll be sure to tell Blue to come your way if I see him, alright?"

"That'd be just lovely. Thanks a bunch, kiddo," She said with a quick embrace and behind us, we heard Dylan yelling.

"C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! Let's go, let's go, let's _go._"

I closed my eyes as I heaved a sigh, not believing that I was paired up with him of all people, but I looked back at Nel and smiled.

"Don't worry, he'll come when you least expect it."

"Alright. But you know, I wonder how Rukia would react if she found out you're going on a job?"

"That _does _seem kind of interesting. I would want to see her reaction."

"That settles it. You like her."

"Quit that. And we just happen to-"

"Like each other without knowing it."

"This conversation is _over_. Dylan!" I hollered, ignoring the female behind me, "Let's go!"

"_WHOOO!"_

So, an hour and a half later, me and Dylan were armed and guised, and at a bar, targeting this little fly that seemed to pester the 'King'. It wasn't my place to ask _why _he wanted this loser killed, but rather him than me.

"I did _not _agree to this," Dylan growled as he adjusted his dress while his fake beauty mark fell on his fake boob.

"Shut up, he'd get suspicious if two gents were at a stripping club, doing absolutely nothing," I said as I took a sip of my drink, narrowing my eyes down at the target. Samuel Rivers; 7 ft, 205 lbs, wanted for excessive killings around the Bronx."

"I don't give a fuck if we're targeting the _president_, I ain'tgoing to sit around in some hoochie mama get-up with these knockers suffocating me," He gasped, pushing down on his bosoms. "Why can't _you _be the slut?"

"Because I lack the ass for it."

"You son-of-a-bitch, I'll murder you."

"I'd like to see you try. And if they ask, you're a lesbian."

"_Hell _no. What do you think-"

"Whore. C'mere."

Both me and Dylan turned around and saw a tall man tower over us, with his eyes narrowed down at Dylan, staring at his breasts.

"_Not_ interested," Dylan hissed as he stood up and cocked his hips to the side, and I groan in agitation because he had given away our cover because of his deep voice that made the man back up slowly and head out the door with eyes wide open.

"Pft, he couldn't handle these milkshakes," The blonde smiled smugly.

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that," I nodded with a pat on his back while keeping my eye on Samuel, who was chatting with a short blonde man that looked very young for his age, and then shoved him off as he went upstairs with a curled lip.

"Keep staring at him, and he'll think you're gay."

My vein pops to life as I slowly crane my neck to look at the cross-dresser, ready to make a complete and utter fool out of him right then and there.

"Don't even talk in the position you're in. Now that he's gone, we'll go over the plan one last time. Now, you're gonna follow the guy and use your 'feminine charm'-"

"You know, how come King couldn't have gotten Nel or Tia to replace me instead? Or better yet, how come I couldn't have _them?_"

"Tia's out of town and Nel's on break. So, after you got his attention, slip _this _into whatever he's drinking," I said, giving him the drug and he took it, sneaking it into his bra (which has very…_disturbing_ to watch), "And once it takes effect, he'll get frisky and tease him. You can't let him see your dick or he'll figure something's up."

"But what if he's gay?"

My mouth slightly dropped at the remark.

"Do you _want _him to be gay?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not like that, you dumbass. I've noticed that he didn't even look at the strippers _once_. What does that tell you?"

"Maybe he was busy," I shrugged, "But once he's drugged, you know what to do."

"Roger," He said as he pushed up his boobs one last time before clearing his throat and shook the blond curly bangs out of his face as he walked to the doorway, attracting a lot of attention along the way. I let out a sigh as I poured the last of the bitter drink down my throat before making my way to the rooftop entrance, but I was pulled back by a hand and I was so startled, I grabbed it and twisted it over my head as I slammed the body into the wall, only to realize that it was a stripper. I instantly let go of her with a nasty shrug, still smelling the rancid perfume from her orange mane that teased my-

_ Orange mane? _

I turned around and got another glance at the female, but she was gone. As if she wasn't there in the first place. I scanned the room just to be sure I wasn't hallucinating, but I couldn't make out anybody's face in this kind of lighting. With a heaved sigh, I shook it off and made my way upstairs, as I looked from window to window to see which one Dylan and Samuel was in. Once I thought of that, it reminded me to turn on the speakers that Dylan had put on his wig so that I could listen in.

As I wait for it to pick up the frequency, I was still searching for the room, more often than needed seeing prostitutes 'work' and their clients being pleased. The very thought made my stomach churn. There was something in me that simply _irked _strippers, whores, and the sort. Thinking about females seducing men just for the sake of money made me angry. As if money was some of 'supreme being'. But I suppose that's how today society runs and how people make their money—through greed and sacrifice.

_"You're awfully a busty whore, ain't cha?"_

I put the speakers in my ear once I heard the voices speak up, and I crept over to their window, backing up just to the edge so they couldn't see me.

Dylan was seated at the edge of the bed with his leg bent over his knee as he looked at the target with big eyes as he batted his fake lashes, perfecting that whole 'innocent' look. I had to admit, he could play the part. But it seems that his acting was being put to the test as the man circled around the bed, carefully eyeing the blonde.

_"C'mon, stop being such a bitch and spread open those lovely legs of yours."_

I had to bite my tongue and cover my mouth to restrain my mirth and I even felt a tear at the corner of my eye because I was laughing so hard.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, watching other people 'bout to do the naughty. Aren't you a horndog?"

My hand reached for the pistol that was in my back pocket, but once I turned around on my heels, my eyes slightly opened at the sight of the stripper that had disappeared from me previously and I realized that it was the same woman that had walked out on my life years back, and I felt pangs of hate twitch inside of me.

"Well, if you needed entertainment, you should've just called, Ichigo."

"You're stalking me. Why?"

"Oh, you silly goose," She giggled as she ruffled my hair, "This is my job, remember?"

"Last time I checked, you worked at TR. But then you quit."

"Because I wasn't getting paid enough."

"Tch," I hissed, feeling my lip instinctively curl with rage.

"But that doesn't matter," She said as she kneeled down and crawled towards me, but I backed up away from her with each move she made until I bumped into a vent, and before I could get out, she was already on me with eyes filled with lust. "What matters is that I catch up with my berry."

_"C'mon, whatcha hiding under that skirt?"_

_ "Oh jus-"_

"What this?" The ginger asked as she picked the speakers from my ears and it wasn't until it was in her hands that I realized she had taken them out.

"I wouldn't want any 'distractions' during our time catching up, mmkay?" She teased as her thumbs circled around the tendons on my neck while her arse was comfortably rested on my groin with her bosoms pushed against my chest and fingers around my neck, its fingers lightly scraping along the skin of my neck, which made its hairs stand on edge. I knew that Orihime was a dangerous enemy, because she knew all of my weaknesses, because she, at one point in my life, _was _my life. And her touch brought me back to a time where I _didn't _hate her, and our strife didn't exist. Back when we were just kids who clearly underestimated what was to be expected.

And as cold fingertips slowly danced from my neck to my collarbones, I took in a deep sigh and exhaled through my nostrils, enjoying myself, if only for a minute while I reminisced about the good old days.

Back when I didn't hate her.

Back when she was so _innocent_.

Back when I had loved her.

April 2nd, 2002—Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

"I'm tellin' ya, Ichi, she's a man in disguise. _No _chick can hit like that," A cerulean-haired teen muttered in utter disbelief as he put his hands above his head while walking down the endless sidewalk that seemed to stretch on for miles and next to him, was the auburn-haired male, but he was too focused on the view of the ball of fire on the South Carolinian shore.

The head of short sky blue locks swished to the left as the teen's eyes scanned the city across from him, seeing their own Greyhound bus that was 'modified' to a two-story mobile home that was anything from lame. If anything, he wanted to stay in there to get some shuteye, but Ichigo had insisted on stopping to get a view of the Palmetto state before heading up north. But if there was one thing Grimmjow didn't see coming, it was the teal-haired female they had encountered earlier and even though he didn't want to admit it, he knew she was something else. He then looked to his friend, seeing that he was staring off into the distance, gazing at the Myrtle Beach sunset.

"Yo, Ichi?"

"Huh?" The teen blinked, seeing his best friend snap in front of his face with little patience.

"God _damn_, you're out of it today. I bet she hypnotized you, didn't she?"

"Grimmjow, why can't you just accept the fact that a girl whipped your ass fair and square?"

"Because there ain't a single, living, _breathing_, female that can do that!"

"Then I guess you're not gonna take the news I have in a good way," Ichigo sighed as he closed his eyes, and then walked into his friend, seeing him stand still with azure eyes narrowed down and locked on the boy.

"…What news?"

"Ahaha, funny thing, I kinda…sorta told Nel she could come with us."

"You son-of-a-bitch," Grimmjow hissed as he reared up his arm but as soon as he was about to land the fist on his face, he stopped suddenly once he felt a gentle hand touch his elbow, immediately freezing in his tracks. He turned around, seeing a massive bundle of teal shake as the head it belonged to tilted slightly to stare at Grimmjow with a wide grin as her nails slowly dug into his skin, making him flinch slightly.

"You shouldn't get upset over the tiniest of things. You're quite handsome when you aren't," She giggled as a slight blush spread across the boy's face as Ichigo laughed while brushing the dirt off of his jacket.

"Well, well, it seems you've outdone Blueberry here not once but twice," The auburn-haired male chuckled as he watched Nel offer the defeated boy a hand, but he only leered as he got up himself.

"I'm guessing you've never fought a female before?" She teased, shooting Grimmjow a devious look, but he only continued to glare at her every time they made eye contact.

"Yeah, Grimm refuses to fight those he deems as 'weaker' them him," Ichigo nodded as the other two walked on the opposite side of him.

"Then he's gonna have to acknowledge the fact that girls can do anything guys can do."

"Tch, as if," The azure adolescent scoffed, but was then met by a raised teal eyebrow from the female.

"You want me to kick your ass again?"

"Pft, you did _not _kick my ass. I was just distracted by-"

"The fact that I'm a girl. Face it, buddy boy," She heaved a sigh as she patted Grimmjow's back in pity, "I'm better than you. Your big ego just won't accept it."

"I do _not _have an ego. Ichigo, do I-"

"Yes," He nodded impassively, making a vein pop to life on the youngster's face.

"Tell you what, let's make ourselves a bargain. I'll leave y'all alone if you…ride _that_!" She pointed behind the boys.

The two turned around, seeing a huge ferris wheel in a sea of lights and sounds that came from the carnival below. Grimmjow slightly shuddered at the sight of how high the top of the wheel was, and put a hand on his stomach, feeling his gut slightly clench at the thought, but he quickly shrugged off his fear, remembering the deal that the female was offering.

"I'll do it," He nodded, "You better pack your bags, missy, 'cause this is a wager I _can't _lose."

"Well," She smiled curtly, seeing the entrance not far from where she stood, feeling a bit of loneliness at the thought of having to find a new home, "We'll see."

And as Nel and Grimmjow bickered about the most absurd things, Ichigo mostly kept to himself, thinking back on the past and wondering how his little sisters were doing, and the second that thought walked into his mind, it was greeted by pangs of guilt that hit him like a gunshot to the head. A slight frown was starting to settle on his face, that it was soon noticed by the female on his left.

"Ichi?" She asked with big eyes, but when he looked at her, he saw not the teal-haired woman he had helped out earlier, but his younger sister instead.

"Yuzu?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, uhm," He shook his head for a moment, clearing his thoughts, "I meant, you said what now?"

"I said we're here," She pointed to the admission gate behind him while Grimmjow dug in his pockets for _any_ change he might have.

"Goddammit, I left my wallet in the bus and now-"

"Lord, you done got your ass whupped by a girl and now she's paying for your admission? Man, that's sad," She giggled as she fetched a bill out of her bra openly, leaving the two (Grimmjow, and the acne-plagued boy at the ticket booth) with their mouths forming a perfect 'O' as she slid it under the Plexiglas and got the tickets as she waved goodbye to the loser and then turned around, seeing Grimmjow still gaping at her, but she only giggled at his stupidity as she patted his head, bringing him back to Earth.

"Sweetie, you're drooling. Clean yourself up. You make _kids _think you're an idiot."

"I don't give a fuck _what _they think," He growled as he rubbed his arm over his mouth before heaving a sight at the ferris wheel that was towering over them and then gulping. "I might as well get this over with."

"Hold up there, boyyo," Nel said through strained teeth as she pulled him back by the collar, "What about you, Ichigo?"

"Eh, I've never been one for carnivals. I'll just get a bite to eat and wait 'til your two's deal's over with," He yawned as he got in line.

"Fine with me," Grimmjow shrugged as he got into the cart nodding to him, but horror struck his face as he saw her getting in, and then he barricaded his back to the entrance, not letting her get in.

"Where the hell do you think _you're _going?" He asked with eyes wide open.

"You didn't you would be going by yourself, did you? I need to _verify _that you did, in fact, go on this ride. Just so I know you aren't cheating, ya know?"

"How the fuck can I cheat, jump off the edge?" He asked incredulously as she slyly crept over Grimmjow and slid herself in as the bars in front, and to their left and right boxed them in tightly, which accidentally cause the two bodies to smush side-by-side as their faces were mere inches apart, which made both teens slightly flustered at the sudden close contact. Nel swallowed her anxiety as Grimmjow silently sighed and tried to keep his cool, but then leaned over in the edge of his seat to see what was in front of him, but he felt the ride rock at the motion and he immediately sat still, causing Nel to slide and fall onto his broad torso as the ride started moving.

Her ivy bangs had conveniently covered her reddened face at the touch and she started to feel her hands shake, which was followed by the chattering of her teeth, which made a laugh rumble up from Grimmjow's chest.

"What are _you _laughing at?" She growled, fixing her hair with one hand as the other remained on his breast so she could keep her balance.

"Nothing, I just didn't expect that outta you. Besides, you live in South Carolina for chrissakes! This is your home! How can you be cold?"

Nel felt a sharp pain stab her in the chest at the mention of home, and glanced away so the arrogant teen wouldn't see the astray tear that had fallen from her eyelid. Nothing came out of her mouth, and she was statuesque, not even moving to get the hairs out of her face.

"Uh…did I say something? I mean, I'll give you my jacket if you're cold," He mumbled, immediately starting to take off the leather jacket, but she shook her head and gulped before speaking.

"You said I live here."

"Well, yeah. Ain't this South Carolina?"

"It is…but it isn't my home…not anymore."

"What're you yapping about? Of course this is your home! Get a map and I'll show you!"

"No, you," Nel said as she closed her eyes, and felt her teeth instinctively chatter as the wind danced through her mane. She heaved a sigh as the fierce gust blew into her, drying the slightly wet trail that the droplet had made. As much as she wanted to just wipe it away, she lacked the will to, and for some reason, she felt compelled to open up and let go all of the stress that she had bottled up, right there and then, in front of a man that had despised her earlier.

But when she felt an arm wrap in front of her chest and pull her to his chest with Grimmjow's eyes watching hers intently as his chin rested on her collarbone with hiss husky breath breathing down his neck.

"What? Are you gonna make a move?" She growled softly.

"What happened? You were just fine a minute ago and now you're about to cry? Normally, I wouldn't give a shit, but-"

"But?" She asked, barely able to voice the word.

"But I'm curious as to what makes the only person in the world that beat me shed tears. Besides," He said, lifting up her chin with his finger, "You shouldn't cry. You're…not yourself…when you aren't."

The girl let out a small giggle as she wiped away the tears before looking up to face him.

"Well, here's what happened," Nel exhaled, preparing both mentally and physically, "A month ago, I was in bed and I couldn't sleep for some reason. I was uneasy, tense, but I didn't know why. So, I went out for a quick midnight jog to clear my mind, but when I got back," She choked, holding back a flood of tears, "My house was on fire…along with my entire family. Gone, just like that."

"And what's even worse," She continued, "My little brother ran out to me to warn me while _he _was on fire but before he could reach me, the flames had burned into his heart and he used his last breath to whisper the words 'I love you' before he collapsed…and I…I couldn't do a damn thing. I just sat there, on the shore, with waterfalls pouring outta both of my eyes while I just cried. I cried the entire night and even I ran away before the fire department and news reporters came so that I wouldn't have to face it again but every time I look at that shore, I just wanna drown myself in it. I'm weak. I could've saved his life, but I was too selfish to save my own, and in turn, Death had to knock on _his _door. I'm…so…pathetic. I-I-" She sobbed, crying onto Grimmjow's chest as he gulped and had one hand cradling her head as the other was on the small of her back with his eyes up to the sky as he waited for the girl's crying to settle down. Little did she know that he would wait forever just for her.

"Next!"

"Finally!" Ichigo groaned, walking up to the stand as he scratched his head, trying to figure out what he would eat, "Uhm, I'll have a-"

"I found the sugar!" A ginger popped up from the counter, making the boy jump back in shock, and then took a second look at the girl, seeing that she wasn't half-bad.

Her gentle face looked up at the patron with a soft smile as she pinned her bangs to the side with two sky blue wand-like bobby pins with chocolate eyes staring up at the boy with such curiosity, it made him a bit timid. Not to mention he was trying his hardest not to stare at her bosoms, which were ridiculous.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" She sputtered.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take one funnel cake, please."

"Okey-dokey, then. Your order should be done in about five minutes. Your number is 15."

"Alright," Ichigo nodded as he took a seat on a nearby bench and relaxed as he let out a yawn, taking in the sights in front of him.

He was in the center of the carnival, with food and drink booths circling him like a maze. But above, he saw the wooden rollercoaster and the waterslide across from it with a rock climbing wall next to it along with a ride that launched you up into the air and then back to the ground all within a matter of minutes.

_Heh, I'd like to see Grimmjow ride that. He'd prolly piss his pants just by looking at how tall it is. Where is that dumbass anyway?_

Ichigo looked to his right, seeing an enormous ship rock back in forth in the air, a bumper car course, and next to the start of the rollercoaster course, was the ferris wheel, but it was too far away for him to make out the peoples, much less him. He sighed in exasperation, wanting to leave the carnival immediately.

"Number 15!"

His eyebrows rose as the ginger dinged the bell and held his order in her hands. Ichigo got to the counter, observing the girl speed around the small make-shift kitchen with interest.

"Here ya go," She grinned as she handed him his plate, but she lost her grip and the mess of syrup, powder, and sugar landed smack dab on Ichigo's shirt, hearing the girl whine and cry.

"Oh my god, I'm _so _sorry! I didn't mean to spill the, oh my gosh, I'm so sor-"

"It's fine," Ichigo chuckled as he shook the sugar off of the tee with his hands, "Don't worry about it."

"Oh my gosh, Michiru, I'm taking my break!" She yelled over her shoulder as she grabbed a bundle of napkins while running out of the booth.

A short brunette came out of the door in the back and stared at the ginger with disbelief.

"But Orihime! Boss will-"

"He said the customer comes first, didn't he?" She smiled as she ran towards Ichigo with a cup of water in hand while motioning him to take a seat on the bench as she wetted a napkin and dabbed his shirt.

"Again, I'm _so _sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your shirt! I'd be happy to-"

She shut up and closed her eyes as his hand went towards her face and brushed the bangs out of her face and then rested on the top of her head, ruffling her hair.

"Tell you what. If you eat this cake with me," He grinned, pointing his chin downwards to the almost sugar-less pastry, "I'll act as if this little 'incident' never happened. Sound good to you?"

"Y-Yeah!" The girl blushed as she turned towards the boy and sat up on the cement wall, watching him rip a small piece off and then look up at her.

"Ain't cha gonna eat? You need some meat on your bones, you're like a toothpick."

"Am not," She whined as she took a bite of the portion she got and then looked up at the guy, "But, uh, if you don't mind me asking," Orihime muttered, her words barely audible to the boy across from her," Why did you call me out like this?"

Ichigo chuckled at the question, making the ginger wonder if he had lost his mind.

"What? I can't ask a pretty girl like you to enjoy some cake with yours truly?" The auburn-haired male inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"No, no, no, I didn't mean to offend you or anything, it's just-"

"No, _you, _'no, no, no'. Would you rather be working your ass off in that cramped, sweaty, trailer or eating cake? I mean, come on."

"…You have a point there, but who are you to tell me my options, stranger?"

"I'm no stranger. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. And you?" He asked, holding out a hand in which the girl shook gently with a small smile.

"Orihime Inoue."

"So, Ms. Inoue, tell me a little about yourself," The boy grinned curiously.

"Well, I'm 16 and I work at, well, you saw earlier. And I _love _cooking. In fact, I made that exact same cake you're eating now," She proudly stated.

"What do you do besides work? What about your friends? Family?"

"Well, my parents weren't 'fit' to take care of me, so my older brother, Sora, took from them and started watching after me."

"Your parents were crazy too, huh?"

Orihime looked up at him with wide eyes, and he immediately felt a pang of guilt after speaking those words. He slightly hung his head as his hand nervously scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what the female's reaction would be.

"Look, if I offended you-"

"Don't apologize, its fine. I…I just thought something was wrong with _me, _not them. But I don't want to dwell on that subject any longer. What happened with yours?" She asked with slight interest.

And the boy told her there was to know. How his step-mother was a psychopath, how he traveled across the sea and to the Statue of Liberty to the Mississippi River and anything and everything there was about him. But most of all, Ichigo himself was shocked at what he was doing. Normally, he wouldn't tell a complete stranger his whole life story, but he didn't hesitate for a single second for the ginger, who was now his friend. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours and soon, the two had lost track of time, that that didn't even realize the sunset that had been long gone and had now been replaced with a ivory crescent.

It was just the two of them, walking side-by-side with their shoes in their hands as they walked on the cold, damp shore with the moon's light illuminating their path.

"Forgive me for sounding so selfish, but…you're lucky, Ichigo. You know that?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" He asked, looking to his side, seeing the girl's gaze fixed upon the waves that crept up on her feet.

"You have so many friends, and you get to see so many places with your own two eyes, leaving behind an enjoyable memory or two with each one and to have so much freedom," The ginger sighed, "I envy you."

"_You_ are jealous of _me_? Don't make me laugh."

"I'm serious," She whined, playfully punching his arm, "What I wouldn't give to get out of here."

"Then why don't you? What's keeping you here?"

"It's…it's a bit more complicated than that, you see. I still-"

"Yo! Ichigo!"

The two turned around, seeing a man waving his arm on the crest of a hill, and the boy recognized it being no other than his rambunctious friend, Grimmjow.

"C'mon! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" He yelled, getting a chuckle out of the two below, but after a moment or two, Orihime had started to feel a bit disheartened by the fact that her new friend had to leave so suddenly.

"Do you really have to go?" She asked with a pout, making Ichigo laugh as he ruffled her hair with a small grin that hid his true feelings, and the fact that he really didn't want to go.

"I'm afraid so, but don't worry. I'll visit South Carolina maybe sometime next year. Can you promise me that you'll wait for me?"

The corner of the ginger's mouth slightly curled into a smile before standing up on her tip-toes to kiss the boy's cheek with a giggle.

"Just promise me you'll visit."

"It's a promise," Ichigo said as he climbed up on the hill Grimmjow was on a few minutes ago and in seconds, he was gone, leaving the girl lonely and wanting to chase after him, but she shook off her thoughts and proceeded to walk back towards the trailer she worked at, until she felt a rough hand grip her shoulder.

"Aw, now isn't that just heart-warming?"

The creepy, familiar voice brought shivers down the girl's back and the ominous presence behind her felt like that of a hawk's prey that was about to be swooped up by its talons. All backbone that Orihime had had vanished like sand blowing in the wind as she buckled down with the person laughing at her and the fact that the lightning sounded like it broke Earth's window didn't help at all.

"It seems you've forgotten the consequence of having a 'coquetry' with our customers. Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a shame. And you were my favorite too. But," He cackled deviously, licking his lips. "Your 'punishment' should satisfy me enough.

"Pst."

"Psst."

"Pssssssst."

A huff came out of the teal-haired woman as she started to lose patience, seeing that her friend wasn't paying her any attention. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she glared at the sleeping azure man below her bunk, which, unbeknownst to her, was actually _pretending _to be asleep.

"Grimmjow, wake up, you lazy ass."

But he only mumbled in his sleep as he rolled over to his side with his face to the wall so she couldn't see the stupid grin he had on his face.

"Jeez, I see it's no use seeing as how you're knocked out; but I'll still tell you anyway. Even though talking to an unconscious body is kinda weird," She muttered as she climbed down the ladder that was attached to her bunk and then took a seat at the edge of the sleeping man's mattress. Every single muscle in Grimmjow's body flinched and froze the instant her skin brushed against his, and he could smell her scent wafting through his nostrils, which intrigued him.

"Anyways, I wanted to tell you this while I still can because I'm running on borrowed time here, but I might as well get on with it," Nel began with a sigh as her hands fidgeting with her mane.

"I have never opened up to someone so quickly and be so in depth about it and—it's unbelievable. Maybe I was just emotional and I really needed to let it out at the time and _you _just happened to be here, of all places," She giggled, twirling the slight curls of the cerulean mane between her fingers, which made the teen's hairs stand erect.

"Since you're asleep, I guess I can finally come about the secret I've been holding in…even if I don't have the balls to say it to your face because I'm afraid you would judge, but here goes nothing," The woman paused, still messing with the boy's hair.

"Well, after the fire, I had nowhere to go and I couldn't bear to sleep in the same house my entire family got burned down in so I started searching elsewhere. I had no money, so my only option was an alley, and I had a hard time finding one that wasn't infested with rats, and once I finally found one, I slept there for a week until I came across some people, who were homeless as well, and basically, they welcomed me into their 'family'. They taught me everything—how to beg, the _easy _way, how to defend myself, and most importantly, how to love again. That original hollow pain that was there was at ease, even only if it healed a little, I have them to thank for it. They've given me—a complete stranger—so much that I can't even put it in words. But, when the time came for me to part ways with them, I found out that I actually _wasn't _ready to go all alone by myself. At least, not in the instance I would be encountered sexually against my will. In other words," Nel choked back a tear as she gulped the others down while Grimmjow's fists were clenched with his nails piercing into his flesh as blood ran through the cracks of his fingers.

"Rape."

Grimmjow had had enough of the words and just couldn't bear to listen and as he tried to distract himself by rolling over and his head accidentally fell right on Nel's lap with an arm slipping around her waist subtly, bringing a smile to the woman's face. He was a bit cautious at how she'd react, but once he felt those warm, gentle hands of hers stroke through his hair, he knew that she was different from the girls he had met before.

"However, I won't go into detail about that. You've heard enough today, even if you are asleep. But what I'm trying to say is," She laughed at herself before craning her neck to peck the man's forehead, staying a bit longer than necessary. "Thank you, Grimmjow, for everything. I'm in your debt."

It was then that Grimmjow finally decided to 'wake up', cracking one eye open to look at the teal-haired female, but she wasn't surprised. He let out a chuckle as he stared up at the hazel eyes above him that examining the boy with precision.

"What? Were you planning to kill my in my sleep? We _are _rivals, you know."

"You idiot, I said I was in your debt. Why would I try to kill you?"

"Because I-"

"Yo! Are you up?" A voice hollered as the two heard slow, approaching footsteps that suddenly stopped once the lights turned on, revealing a very amused Ichigo at the stair's edge.

"Well, well, I apologized if I have interrupted 'something'," He snickered, getting a death glare from the azure man in return. "But anyways, Nel, since you're up, is there anything you need to get because once buddy boy over there starts driving, he won't stop."

"Except to drink, sleep, and/or piss," He added.

"And, he's a silver train that has no chance of stopping unless he feels like it. So, if you have anything you need to get, get it now. We're gonna be on the road for about a day or two."

"Mmkay, then I'll walk to Piggly Wiggly and jus-"

"_What?" _Grimmjow asked with a confused look on his face, getting an exasperated sigh from the female.

"Don't give me that look. It's a store. Where you buy stuff. Get the picture?" She asked, tapping the side of her forehead.

"Okay…that settles that…but you're gonna go out like _that?" _He asked incredulously, pointing to the white tank with the fabric that looked like it couldn't stretch anymore because of the massive width of the girl's bosom that _clearly _showed her solid black bra, but it's not like her polka-dotted booty shorts were any _less _eye-attracting.

"Sweetie, this is Myrtle Beach. Most people would go naked if it wasn't for that thing called 'public decency'," Nel shrugged as she snatched the $100 Ichigo gave her for shopping before walking out of the bus and closing the door behind her.

While Nel was out shopping, Ichigo and Grimmjow were laying around, doing absolutely nothing, just waiting for the girl to come back with food. Grimmjow had his face in the pillows of his bunk while Ichigo was sprawled out all over the couch, trying to find a position comfortable enough to sleep in, but something was bothering him. He figured it was just the fact that his stomach was growling, so he got up and opened the fridge, disappointed at what had remained—half a can of pašteta, the two bottles of beer that Ichigo had stolen, and bread that had started to grow a mold.

He grabbed the two glasses and fetched the cap opener out of the drawer and popped the bottles open, seeing that Grimmjow had sat up at the sound, intrigued, and even a bit surprised at what the boy was doing.

"What's this? 'John Collins' drinking at two in the morning? That's not the strawberry I know."

"I told you _not _to call me by that name," He hissed, passing his beer to him, and got a slightly stunned look from his friend.

"You're uneasy. What is it?" Grimmjow inquired, staring at the waves that were so far away from the window behind Ichigo's back.

"Something's wrong. I have a _really _bad feeling in my gut," He groaned, getting a laugh out of the boy.

"I knew you were something, but I didn't know being a psychic was on your résumé too," The cerulean-haired man snorted, nearly gagging on his beer, but Ichigo was not amused.

With a sigh and a shrug, he got up as he took one last sip before setting the Heineken down while walking towards the exit.

"Ey! Where ya going?"

"I need a smoke," The boy grumbled, swiftly shutting the door before lighting up a cigarette and exhaled the puff of smoke, looking up at the sea of stars that had a light that used to shine away all of his worries, but not now. Not when he needed it the most. But even the slightest bit of comfort it gave him had disappeared once he had heard the blood-curdling shriek that made him flinch with fear.

"Who's there?" He yelled as he walked down the streets, peering his head into every alley along the way.

"Get _off _of me!"

"Shut the fuck up, you dumb bitch!"

And the next thing the boy heard was a fierce slap, followed by a whimper that barely managed to reach his ears, which gave his legs the boost to start run as the screams of horror got worse and worse until it came to the point that Ichigo himself was scared to peer around the corner. However, it wasn't until he walked into the street of where the shrieks were coming from that he was downright mortified and every muscle in his body was frozen with shock.

In front of his eyes were two beings—a male and female back in the corner of the brick walls and their bodies were so close, it looked like they were glued to the hip, but once they stepped in the light to see who the stranger was, Ichigo's jaw had dropped with disbelief once he realized who it was.

Long ginger hair, big eyes, innocent look—all belonging to the face of Orihime Inoue, but Ichigo just couldn't accept the fact that she was standing there, right in front of him. The tall, lanky man that was behind her had his face covered by his long ebony hair, but his intimidating, lecherous grin was still visible in the moonlight as the set of teeth opened to let out a long, slimy tongue that crept along the girl's neck and to her ear, making the captured ginger cry out with a mix of innocent bliss and enraged hate that made Ichigo's blood boil.

"Get…your hands…off of her," He growled through clenched teeth, getting a laugh out of the man.

"And makes you think I will? After all, I am _the _Nnoitra Jiruga. That, and," The man smirked as he pulled the girl towards him, and once the light shown on her face, it revealed patched of black and blue and even a trail of blood on the corner of her lips, "She needs to pay for what she's done."

"That doesn't mean you have to rape her, you fucking creep," Ichigo snarled.

"And that's where you're wrong. Your dumb ass forgot one _tiny _little details," Nnoitra cackled, pulling out a rolled-up piece of paper that once it unrolled, revealing a huge swarm of text with a huge, ornate signature at the bottom.

"The girl signed a contract. Meaning, both her _and _her body belong to me and therefore, I can do whatever the fuck I want. You've already interrupted her punishment, but since you _obviously _don't have a clue who I am, I'll let you live with a warning."

"You're awfully confident for an old perv. But instead of questioning your cockiness, I want to know why you picked this girl instead of some dumb whore on the corner?"

The man's chest started rumbling with laughter until he exploded with mirth, confusing the boy. Orihime looked down at the ground with shame and then shut her eyes, knowing very well was that maniacal cackle meant.

"Do I need to spell it out for you to understand? _She's _your dumb whore! Use your head, for crying out loud. Why else would I want her?" Nnoitra snickered, making the teen curl up his fist in anger with his fingernails nearly piercing into his flesh.

"Since you're such a dumbass, I'll be sure to explain it _slowly _to ya. The girl ran away from home, seeking the glamour and bright cinema lights of Hollywood. She had a knack for improv, which came in handy when she had to get out of a mess. So, one night, I stumbled upon Pamela Anderson here and we got chit-chatting and I offered her a ticket to the 'big leagues' on one condition—she does what I say, when I say it, or, _this _happens," He chuckled as he groped the teen's breasts while licking her neck, making Ichigo's stomach churn in disgust. Then, he pulled out a dagger that was hovering right beneath her chin, forcing to tilt her head up and look at the boy's mortified face. The open mouth froze like that for a second, and then shifted to a small, thin line full of fury.

"Orihime," He said in barely a whisper, instinctively making the girl look at him eye-to-eye, which forced the edge of the blade into her skin.

"Is what this man said true?"

The ginger nodded meekly, getting a chuckle of disbelief out of Ichigo, which made the two slightly nervous. Nnoitra's hand slyly climbed down from the woman's bosom and to the edge of his hip, where had stashed a gun his inner coat pocket, but the teen had kept an eye on the man from the very start in cause it would lead to something like this.

"I think you're too dumb to realize the situation you're in," The man snickered, his finger curling around the trigger, "You, some defenseless brat, are interfering in a mob bosses' own _personal _business…are you asking for a death wish, boy?"

"No. All I'm asking is that you let go of her."

"Now, why would I give up such a pretty piece of 'property' you-"

"I'll pretend," Ichigo growled through clenched teeth, "I didn't hear that. Now, I'll say this one more time…get your hands off of her."

"Like hell."

"I guess I'll just have to pry them off then," The boy hissed as he pulled out _Krvavi Kralj _out from his back pocket and fired at Nnoitra while he ducked for cover for the bullets that were being shot back at him as well. In that small war zone of an alley was total and complete chaos that had temporarily ceased after a moment or two.

"Tch, you're sharp for a kid," The tall, lanky man smirked as he reloaded his weapon while forming a devious plan in his mind that brought a conniving grin to his face.

"You ain't so bad," Ichigo panted, peeking just a bit around the corner before he heard a bullet whiz right past his cheek.

"For an old perv," He sniped, noticing the hole on his leather jacket, a warning that his playdate with Death was yet to be finished.

"Let's cut to the chase," Nnoitra said monotonously as he grabbed Orihime by the ends of her hair and wrapped an arm around her neck, and the other held a chrome pistol in its hand with the cold metal kissing the skin of her temple.

"This game…is _over, _sonny."

"Awh, look who's being a sore bum," The boy grinned, but not for long.

"You've got it all wrong. _You're _the loser here, boy. Why don't you turn around from the corner there and see for yourself?"

Ichigo stood still, resistant to the man's attempt to draw him out.

"If you have a brain, you'll drop the gun or-"

"Or _what?_" He hissed, scooting mere inches closer to the corner, readying his gun.

"_Or_," Nnoitra chuckled, cocking the gun, "I'll just kill your whore instead."

"Ichigo!" Orihime yelled as she tried to pry off the man's arm that was nearly suffocating her, "Don't do it, he'll-"

_Click._

That sound was all it took to shut her up and finally get Ichigo at the point where he had to make a decision.

"Well, 'Ichigo', what'll it be?"

The boy chewed down on his lip and accidentally punctured a hole in the tissue with his canine, letting out a hiss of pain. He let his grip on his gun gradually loosen until his hand eventually let go of the silver pistol, the sound of the _click-clack _of its crash on the asphalt floor bringing a huge grin to Nnoitra's face.

"Glad you saw it my way. Now, let's play a game. But, I won't need _this_," He snarled as he pushed the ginger down , but Ichigo quickly helped her up to her feet, all while glaring at the tall, lanky man.

"Whores only get in the way of what needs to be done. But, you know how it is, right?" He laughed as he pointed the gun at them, debating on which one he wanted to get rid of first.

"Hmmm…I could kill you first, boy, but then the bitch will prob'ly wail like a fuckin' cow giving birth, so, I think I might kill both of you with one blow. But, since I'm an angel, I'll give you ten more seconds to live, so use them wisely," He chimed with a grin as he started the countdown.

Both teenagers tensed up with fear as they heard the last seconds of their lives being counted aloud by a psychopathic killer. Ichigo tried to reach for the gun, but Nnoitra caught him and stomped on his hand, crushing him fingers beneath his foot.

"Where do you think _you're _going? And by the way, your countdown starts…now. Ten."

"Fuck you," Ichigo hissed.

"9."

"You know," Orihime said, looking up at the boy, "I'm glad you came."

"8."

"But why? Because of me, you're, no, we're_ both_ gonna be killed."

"7."

"Because someone had _finally _stood up to this evil man."

"6."

"That doesn't matter. We're about to be killed by a psychomaniac and it's my entire fault."

"5."

"Stop blaming yourself," She smiled meekly placing a hand on Ichigo's cheek with a tear in the corner of her eye.

"4."

"But knowing that _I _was the cause of your death would be enough to kill me alone."

"3."

"That's enough."

"2."

"Thank you Ichigo, for being there when nobody else was," Her voice cracked, and began to form a sob, but Ichigo only held onto her tighter as they waited for the shot of death to pierce through their flesh.

"1."

_I didn't want to see you get hurt like that ever again._

"Hold it."

Both of the teens slowly cracked open their eyes at the sound of the strange, but familiar voice, but once they could see, shock came to them like a bullet in the head.

Behind the man was the teal-haired woman holding a gun to his head and a knife at his throat with coldhearted eyes locked onto him.

"Tch, what the hell are _you _doing here? Last time I checked, you nearly pissed your pants when you saw me."

"There ain't _nothing _that can scare me now; not after seeing my family being burned alive. But then again, you should know, since you were the one who did it."

The man laughed hysterically as the sounds of the shrieks and cried from that night flooded into his mind, making him already giddier than he already was; but once Nel cocked the gun, his lips zipped like a padlock.

"Drop it," She ordered, instinctively pushing the knife's edge closer to the skin of his throat. He let out a hiss as he did what he was told and dropped the gun with a scowl.

"It's over, Nnoitra. Your charade of killing has cea-"

But Nel didn't anticipate the possibility of him having yet, _another _ace up his sleeve as he slashed her with a hidden blade that was tucked away in his breast pocket. But instead of crying and screaming out in pain from the wound that gushed from the right corner of her forehead to the bridge of her nose, Nel twisted his arm and snatched the dagger, quickly turning him around and dug the knife into his eye and gouged out his left eye, but it was still hanging, so she ripped it out with her bare hand, getting blood splattered all over her arm. Nnoitra kneeled down, yelling in pain at his organ removal, but Nelliel only turned her back to him as she faced Ichigo and Orihime, seeing the bewildered looks on their faces that made a giggle come out of her.

"What the hell are you laughing at? You're bleeding!" Ichigo hollered, but the guttural cries of agony from the man behind him easily suppressed his voice.

_But then again…_

"Don't worry about me. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. But we need to get you two back to the van. Can you stand?"

"Yeah, but I don't think Orihime can."

"N-No, I'm fine," She stuttered as she tried to get up, but her frailness easily contradicted that as her legs lost control, but Ichigo caught her, giving her that 'I told you so' look.

"You're in no shape to walk. C'mon, I'll carry you. Get on my back."

"Oh, no, I'm far too heavy to-"

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, NELLIEL!" Nnoitra screeched.

"Time to go, kiddos," Nel piped as she ran away, leaving Ichigo and Orihime, who didn't waste any time in following her. The boy kneeled down as the ginger slowly climbed on, clinging tightly onto his jacket as his arms wrapped around her legs while he got up.

"You know, you don't have to be so gentle with me," He chuckled, "I don't mind if you wrap your arms around me."

Orihime nodded as she cautiously secured her limbs around his neck, but they hung loose at his chest, and she rested her head on his collarbone as he started taking off and following the teal-haired woman in front of them.

And soon, the three were at the parking lot where the bus was parked, but it had looked like somebody had died in there because of the eerie mist of silence that lingered over it. Ichigo groaned as he walked up to the door, seeing that it was locked.

"Grimmjow!" He yelled as he kicked the door thrice, hearing a rather irritable man grumble from inside and make his way towards the door.

"Goddamit, Ichigo, what the fuck…happened?"

He saw Ichigo with tattered clothes and bloody knuckles as he carried the ginger that he was walking on the beach with, but she had it far worse.

She was blue and black all over; from the side of her neck to the back of her calf was all covered in bruises and from the looks of it, she had fallen asleep on the teen's back.

Then, he turned to look at Nel and he bit down on his lip so he wouldn't make a commotion about her bloody face, or how she was still smiling after whatever tragic event just happened.

"Get in here," Grimmjow opened to door, as they walked in, eyeing the massive amount of blood that was on Nel's right arm, which made him wonder what exactly _did _happen.

"Hey, hey, wake up," Ichigo mumbled softly as he shrugged his shoulders repeatedly to get Orihime's attention, and she woke up hazily, not recognizing the strange surroundings.

"Ichigo? Where are we?" She yawned as she rubbed her eyes while getting off of the boy's back.

"It's a mouthful to explain, so I'll just tell you in the morning. I'll go get you a change of clothes and just pick a spot to sleep. We leave tonight."

"Annnmghmm," She nodded sleepily as she laid on the nearby bunk and pulled a pillow to her chest, swiftly falling into her slumber.

"She's a doll, ain't she?"

Ichigo turned around and saw Nel leaned up against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest and a playful grin at the edges of her mouth.

"Yeah, bud, I caught you lookin' at her, don't try to cover it up."

"Hahah, don't get it twisted like that," The boy chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

"So, are you gonna let her stay?" She inquired curiously, getting a half-shrug out of the auburn-haired teen.

"It's not my choice. It's Grimmjow's."

"That wasn't the situation for me," She pointed out. "Speaking of which, just why _did _you take me in?"

"I know what it's like to be all out there, alone, and it isn't a feeling that I exactly 'love'. When you're all by yourself, you'll easily be targeted. However, if you stick with a group, not only will you be more safe, but you won't be alone anymore, ya know? That, plus anybody who can beat Grimm's ass, and a female at that, is definetly worth talking to."

Nel giggled at the remark, "Well, it's nice to know that I'm not like the other girls you'd meet. Now, if you don't mind, I need my beauty sleep. Goodnight, Ichi," She said as she started to walk upstairs and then closed the door behind her.

"Night, Nel."

"Oh, before I go to sleep," She opened the door just a crack so that her voice would only be heard, "Can you promise me something?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?"

"Watch over the girl."

Ichigo was surprised by the offer, curious as to know why the woman would want him to do such a thing. But then again, he owed her.

"Sure thing. I promise."

"Thank you, Ichigo," Were her last words of the night before closing the door once more, leaving Ichigo with the sleeping girl laying next to him. He quickly glanced at her, analyzing everything from her deep copper-ish locks to her curves to her innocent face to her small, delicate hands. Ichigo moved the stray bangs out of her face with his hands and the instant his skin touched hers, he felt a spark, but he didn't jerk away like her thought he would. Instead, he tucked the stray pieces of hair behind the girl's ear and ran his hand gently through her mane, stopping at the ends with his fingertips playing with the strands before finally getting up.

Then, the sound of the front door being opened was heard and Ichigo swiftly backed off so he wouldn't look suspicious, and saw Grimmjow with a lazy look in his eye as he put a hand through his cerulean bangs.

"What are you doing still up?" He mumbled as he sat down in the driver's seat and revved up the engine.

"I just needed some Nyquil 'cause I couldn't sleep."

"Well, you're gonna need it because you're driving during the day. Now, go on, git," Grimmjow said in a stern tone before driving out of the parking lot as Ichigo walked towards the bunks and plopped down on the one across from the sleeping girl.

"Good night…Orihime."

_But in the end…__you were the one to hurt me, now weren't you?_

"John! John! Respond!" Dylan hissed through the earpiece, but I couldn't focus with Orihime all over me, and her touch was pleasing as ti was poisonous.

"This is just like old times, remember?" She teased as her hand went down my stomach and right as she was about to go to _that _destination, I snapped out of it. I grabbed her by the wrist and she froze like a statue, giving me that exact same, petrified look she gave Nnoitra; it made me feel like a monster, but she was a witch.

"Let go of me," I hissed, but the woman just sat there, dumbfounded.

"B-But don't you-"

"Get off of me!" I snarled, making the female gape at me with even more shock (if that was possible).

As I got up, I zipped my pants back up and quickly fixed my clothes as I bent down to get the headphone, but Orihime touched my hand, freezing my in my tracks. I avoided her gaze so that she wouldn't hypnotize me once more, and delay me even further on my mission.

"Please, Ichigo, give me another chance. W-We can make this work," She pleaded as she grabbed my hand, giving it a kiss, but I reflexively jerked it out her grasp, feeling slightly pissed at this point.

_"_Don't _touch _me."

Those words that had left my lips were barely audible, but I knew she heard it, and then, she turned into that 'witch' that I hated so much. Her once soft, delicate touch had turned to ten deep wounds that pierced the flesh of my hands, paralyzing me.

"Who do you think you are, refusing my services?" She hissed

_"John! Get your ass in here now! My cover's about to be blown!"_

"Is this how you prove your worth to me?" I yell.

"There's no other way because you're obsessed with that Rukia chick!"

_"Where the hell are you?"_

"Don't drag her into this! She doesn't even _know _you or what the hell you did to me! What you did was unforgivable!"

"And that's why I'm asking for a second chance!" Orihime yelled with tears in her eyes, but I knew far too well that those weren't genuine.

"How the hell can you even _think _of asking for forgiveness after you fucked me over like that?"

"I don't know!" She sobbed, breaking down like a castle of cards. "I don't know, goddamit! I just wanted you back and I seriously thought we had a chance that day at the restaurant, but I saw how you looked at that girl. I knew instantly that I was old news and that she was to become your new girlfriend. And you wanna know how I know? It's because you gave me that _exact _look when you saw me. After all of the shit we've been through, I still can't believe that she can just walk into your life and jus-"

"I told you not to mention her name. Your mistakes strictly involve you and me only. Not Rukia, not anybody else."

_"Eh? What the fuck is that?"_

_"Code Red! I repeat, Code Fucking Red!"_

"This conversation is over, Orihime."

"But Ichi-"

"It's _over,_" I hissed as I picked up the earphone once more and reconnected. "Dylan, can you hear-"

_"Well, well, is this Ichigo, I wonder?"_

_ "Huh?" _Dylan asked confusedly, and I knew right then I had no choice. I backed up from the ceiling window, giving me some distance, and to my side, I saw Orihime look at me worriedly.

"Don't give me that look of pity, Orihime. If you want a second chance so bad," I sighed. "Show me you mean it. Show me the Orihime I fell in love with. Show me the woman I was about to marry. Show me that you're not as evil as I think you are." Were my words before flashing her a smile as I took off and jumped through the window, shielding my face with my arms and I landed on the bed and quickly rolled off, aiming my gun at Samuel, who was in a rather humorous position as he tried to 'ride Dylan's saddle' although he was exposed. I tried to swallow the mix of digust from looking at that and the cherry red cheeks of Dylan's face that nearly made me piss my pants. But, once 'Samuel' turned around to face me and show off that mile-wide grin, my mouth dropped once I realized who it was.

"Heh, well ain't this funny. Seeing the man who bared that _exact, _same fucking gun at me with that _exact, _same fucking scowl. Ain't this a funny situation."

"John, what's he talking about?" Dylan asked confusedly, which gave the tall, lanky man a good laugh.

"'John'? The fuck is this? You changed names, Ichigo?"

"Ichigo?"

"That's my middle name. John. But nevermind that. What really intrigues me is how you're all over my friend. You gay now?" I ask with a chuckle, seeing that the man was _not _amused, and neither was Dylan, who had a pleading look on his face.

"Nah, I just wanted a good fuck. Don't matter if it's a chick or dude, I'll still kill them after," He laughed, making my stomach churn. I pulled the trigger and fired, scaring the shit out of both of them as they gaped at the hole in the wall that was between their heads.

"Pft, you didn't even let me start the game, dumbass," The man growled irritatedly, sounding a bit disappointed, judging from his tone. "I forgot to mention—this room is rigged with explosives. And the only one who can stop it, is me. So, you kill me, you're basically doing suicide. Only _I _ know the code to stop the bomb and if I don't get what I want, you're goners."

"What do you want?

"Simple. An eye for an eye."

"…_Who's _eye?" I asked innocently, trying not to act as if I knew what he was talking about.

"That bitch, Nel's. But since she ain't-"

"John! How does he know Cherry?" Dylan asked, but then his mouth was covered up by Nnoitra's hand.

"Damn, this little bitch needs to shut the _hell _up. It seems like I missed a lot over the years. First, I meet a cross-dresser, then I hear your new 'name' or whatever, and now that whore's named after a fruit? Goddamn, I feel old now."

"Because you are, dumbass," I sniped. "Now, answer me."

"Don't shit your pants, I was getting to that part. Since that cunt isn't here, I'll just rip out your eye since I hate you just as much. Savvy?"

"On two conditions," I said through clenched teeth, cocking the gun at Nnoitra's temple as he pulled out a knife that was aimed at my heart.

"Name your deal."

"One, let go of the boy."

"Tch, this sounds awfully familiar, no?" He laughed as he pushed Dylan towards me, with his zipper open and the edges of the lace thong showing, which made me throw up in my mouth.

"Second, disfuse the bomb and I'll hand my eye over."

"Fine," He said as he zipped up his pants and then made his way towards the alarm clock and turned it over and took off the lid, which had a horde of red and blue wiring. He tweaked with some of it (at least, it looked like it) and the incessant ticking had finally stopped, which brought a grin to his face.

"Now, time for your end of the deal," He chuckled deviously as he flipped the knife between his fingers and right as he dove for me, the closet door had fallen down with a bang, and inside of the darkness, was a hand holding a grenade. All of us froze in our tracks, and I'm pretty sure Dylan pissed his pants.

"Hey, hey, hey, let's not be hasty now," A devious voice chuckled.

"What the fuck is this? Do you know something about this, you sonuvabitch?" He yelled as he picked me up by grabbing onto my shirt, but I wasn't surprised at his strength.

"On the contrary, I don't know anymore than you do," I teased, which made Nnoitra even more angry and right as he was about to gouge out my eye, a shot went off, and the man instantly let go of me and held onto his stomach, lying on the floor.

"Dammit, I missed," A voice said, and I immediately aimed my gun at the darkness in the closet, feeling a bit of anxiety pulse through my veins.

"Chill, Strawberry, it's me," Grimmjow mumbled as he walked out of the closet and then knelt down, staring the bleeding man down.

"Oh yeah, and next time you call my _fiancée _a cunt, I'll be careful I won't miss next time, you fucking fag."

"_Fiancée?" I cocked my eyes at the azure-haired man, who shot me a sheepish look._

_ "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I'm going to, uhm, propose to Nel," He slipped that in, making me gape slightly._

_ "And you decided this when…?"_

_ "Congratulations, Blueberry."_

_We couldn't tell where the strange voice was coming from, but it sound like it was coming from an announcer, like the kind at schools. I carefully eyed the room, looking for another spots where such a thing might be hooked up, but before I could pinpoint it, the sounds of lights being turned on one by one rang through my ears and I turned around, seeing one of the walls was just a prop for a audience to watch behind it, similar to what jails had for interrogation. Only thing is, we could __see __who was speaking behind it, and I could've sworn that night was one of the most confusing. Behind the wall of glass were three figures, all in white; but each of their outfits were distinct. There was a black guy wearing dreads and grey shades with a bright orange bandana around his neck and below it, was a white Velcro jumpsuit that looked rather exquisite. Next to him was a pale white male with silver hair and fox eyes that were so creepy, because I couldn't tell where he was looking at. He wore an ivory jacket with some faded-out jeans, but I always despised looking at him, He made me feel sick._

_ Then, there was the boss man. He had on a rather fancy coat that made his brown hair stand out and he even had on the black office pants to make him look even more 'official'._

_ "Well, aren't you going to congratulate him, Strawberry?" The brunette asked._

_ "Uh, I would if he had told he in a __normal __situation. As in, not the kind where my boss was watching me the entire time and I don't know what the fuck is going on."_

_ "It feels odd, almost __weak __when you know you're being used a pawn, no?"_

_ "I guess," I shrugged. "So, what's your deal? I thought you were in Jersey, King."_

_ "We were," The fox-faced man chimed, "But we got wind that this arse bandit was on our turf, we had to inform him of his little deal he made with King here."_

_ "Arse bandit…?" I looked back at Grimm._

_ "It means a fag."_

_ "Oh," I nodded, "So, tell me, why did you hire me, Dylan, and Grimm to take care of him? You could've easily hired some level C or D thugs to take him out.?"_

_ "To evaluate if you all were still qualified for any possible upcoming jobs. That, plus you all forgot about your 'exam' so this made up for it."_

_ "And?" Grimm cocked an eyebrow at them. "What's the result?"_

_ "You captured the target, didn't you?"_

_ "That's good enough for me," The azure man shrugged, but then stepped on a piece of glass, which piqued my curiosity; and it was then that I remembered about Orihime._

_ "Wait, King, I have a question."_

_ "Yes?"_

_ "Why was Princess here?"_

_ "What?" Grimmjow asked, stupefied._

_ "Oh yes, about that," He chuckled, "I had to test you __personally__."_

_ "….Why? You crossed a line there, Aizen. Involving __my __personal life with this shit just doesn't fly."_

_ "Watch your tongue, boy," The colored man warned._

_ "Tosen, don't worry, he wouldn't dare. Anyways, to answer your question, I was getting rather worried when I noticed you socializing more and more with this 'Rukia' girl and you're-"_

_ "I'm __what__?" I hissed, waiting as eternity passed by, waiting to hear his reply._

_ "You seem more happy, that's all."_

_ "…oh."_

_ "Well, we must be going. You know how it is, being a boss, no?_

_ And the next thing I knew, the lights went out, and the fake wall reverted to its original self once more, and I kept on questioning myself what the hell had just happened. But I think Dylan was the most confused out of all of us._

_ "Boss? Ichigo? What's going on?" The blonde asked, glaring at me._

_ "Don't worry about it kid," Grimm griped as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, "It's one of those things where you pretend you didn't see. Like your parents fucking. Go start the car, we'll be there in a few."_

_ He shot him a look for a moment before leaving, and I could finally breathe and relax for a moment._

_ "Goddamn, is this déjà vu or what?" Grimmjow laughed, but I wasn't._

_ "So, when were you planning to tell me you were going to propose to Nel?"_

_ "When I got back from this mission. But I didn't knew __you __were going to be in it."_

_ "She's been worried sick and you're just gonna…wait, is __that __the present you mentioned to her earlier?"_

_ "Oh yeah, I forgot about that," He said, getting out a small ebony box and opening it, revealing a small silver ring with a diamond in the shape of an oval with points in opposite directions, and that was just convinces me slightly that he was actually serious about this._

_ "Ain't it a beaut?"_

_ "Yeah," I nodded as I watched him close the box and tuck it away. "She'll love it."_

_ "God, I can't wait to see the look on her face," He laughed, but then his mirth stopped short suddenly._

_ "What is it?" I ask._

_ "What if she says no?"_

_ "Let's reevaluate your relationship with her. You've known her for eight years, dated her for half of those years, and rarely, if ever, do you two fight."_

_ "That doesn't answer shit. I've been friends with you my whole life yet I don't know __everything __about you. Like, about that Nnoitra guy or how the fuck Orihime was…why was Orihime here? Oh, shit, this is bad. See, Ichigo, I knew it. That bitch-"_

_ "Ahem," I mumbled._

_ "I mean, that…woman is a __baaad __omen. She __always __comes around when shit happens! You remember that time we went down to Louis' and I visited my momma and when she saw Orihime, she fainted, claiming that there was a demon inside of her?"_

_ "How the hell does that relate to-"_

_ "She's __baaaad __news. I know it. Nel knows it, Hell, __you __know it, but you don't want to admit it. Jesus, she's gonna fuck up my proposal, I know it."_

_ "Hey, hey, chill, okay? You're just nervous, that's all. You'll do fine."_

_ "Yeah, but I have no idea what the fuck I'm supposed to say in that kinda situation," He groaned as we walked out of the room towards the exit._

_ "Don't worry, I got your back. And I can always pull a few strings, so it'll be smooth sailing for ya," I patted the side of his arm as we got in the car, with Dylan sound asleep in the passenger's seats._

_ "What do we do about the kid? He already knows too much," The azure-haired man grumbled._

_ "Nothing. I trust him to keep quiet. Besides, it's not like he has the brains to figure it out anyways," I snickered as I revved up the engine._

_ "So, just out of curiosity, what exactly __did __happen with you an Orihime?"_

_ The shaggy-haired detective gave a small laugh as he set the journal down, letting out a sigh as he tried to come up with any clues that might help Ichigo's case, but all he could do now was to hope for good news to come to them._

_ Then, he heard a knock on the door, which startled him ever so slightly. He tucked the notebook away in his coat pocket as he kicked up his feet on his desk, pretending to be half-asleep._

_ "Come in," He chimed as he looked through the cracks of his curly locks, seeing a rather unexpected guest walk into the room. A rather bodacious woman walked into the room with her long violet hair dancing behind her as she took a seat in front of Kisuke, and he smiled as he stood up._

_ "Look who came to pay me a visit—the ever youthful and exotic beauty, Ms. Yoruichi," He said as he exchanged greeting kisses with the woman before taking a seat in his chair, eyeing the woman carefully._

_ "You look as radiant as ever," The blonde remarked, seeing the tiniest hint of blush spread across her cheeks._

_ "Stop being such a flirt," She chuckled halfheartedly, but then got serious as she remembered why she came to her friend in the first place. "Kisuke."_

_ "Hmm?" He raised his eyebrows curiously._

_ "I think I may have something that'll help your investigation," The woman mumbled as she fetched out a small box and then slid it across the desk, piquing the blonde._

_ "Are you sure this is evidence? Because it looks a lot like a gift for moi."_

_ "Just open it," She grumbled, getting impatient with him. The blonde did as he was told, and saw a bundle of tissue in it and fidgeted with it, feeling something cold and long. He hooked the strange item with his finger and picked it up, seeing a silver necklace with a light aquamarine gem holding onto it, making Kisuke's mouth slightly drop at the sight._

_ "Where did you get this?" He asked, eyeing the jewel._

_ "I went to go visit Ichigo in the hospital and I saw something sticking out of his pocket and I took it out, seeing a small box and that necklace was inside."_

_ "But…why would __he __have it? The only way he could have it-"_

_ "Is if she gave it back to him," Yoruichi concluded. "Which means she came back, although, she didn't have any plans on staying."_

_ "How do you know?"_

_ "There's the note to prove it," She pointed to the box. The detective lifted the tissue, seeing a small piece of paper crinkled up at the very bottom and he unfolded it and read the context of the letter she left behind, his jaw dropping as he kept on reading and then slammed his hands on the desk._

_ "Get me Renji. I have a hunch he didn't tell me the __whole __story of what happened that night."_

_ "Sure thing," She nodded as she exited the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Kisuke alone to figure out the missing link._

_sWhy did she leave? Who was it that ambushed Ichigo that night? And why did he have an alias? These were the questions that everybody was asking, but nobody knew the answers. Well, some of them __pretended __as if they didn't knew when in fact, they knew everything._


	7. The Aftermath of the Castastrophe

_Datalog: Day 30_

_Just so ya know, the reason why I haven't been keeping up with journal is because I've a number of priorities which need my attention__,_

The man's pen stopped moving after his fingers curved it to the comma's tail, thinking twice about the things he should keep secret, which strengthened his will not to as he imagined the faces of the people he cared about, making him stare long and hard at the ground, trying to shake off the subject in his mind.

"No," He shook his head and he ripped the paper out of the navy composition notebook, tearing any surviving edges so the shrink wouldn't have any possible questions, "No one can know."

Feeling a bit edgy, the man felt as if some ghostly aura floating around him, but he couldn't shake it off. Being all alone in the house, he had all the time and peace in the world to do as he pleased in his own little space, but despite his claims to people about needing to be by himself, that was actually the time he felt weakest—when he was alone.

And as much as he was tired of carrying the burdens of keeping the countless secrets, he knew he couldn't open his mouth for the fear of being who he _truly _was…and _what _he was.

_Get a hold of yourself, Ichigo_, The man thought as he cleared his throat, feeling a throbbing pain in his sternum. _You open your mouth and you're as good as dead._

However, his self-coaching didn't help him much as the sudden agony in his chest was starting to worsen, soon making it unable for him to stand straight up, forcing him to lie down.

In an attempt to relax his body, he dramatically slowed his breathing, inhaling through his nostril and out of his mouth, Still, the ache wouldn't go away, and all the man could do was hiss at the paroxysm that refused to cease. His eyeballs were screwed shut to endure the suffering, which had gotten so excruciating, he had to claw at the meat on his forearm to distract his mind and body from the internal anguish Ichigo had to abide.

One pang had hit him so sharply; it made his eyes flew wide open as a cry of throe was let out while a narrow stream of liquid poured out of the vessel of his arm, but now, his agony from both pains were taking their toll on him.

He looked to his left, almost as if searching for some beacon of hope, and saw the beryl pad lie across from him, and he clawed at the table as he tried to get it with one hand, as the other hand was digging into the flesh of the newly healed wound on his torso, staining his shirt with the deep azure liquid that seeped from his veins.

"Fuck," He hissed as he knocked over the glass of red wine that on the table while getting the notebook, but he didn't pay much attention to it; what was really on his mind right now was finding his therapist's number, who was his source for _his _painkillers.

Ichigo had flipped through the pages, relentlessly searching for the number in the sea of paper dressed with ink, and he stopped at the last entry he made, recalling the good and…not-so-good memories that came to mind. And in that brief moment of reminiscing, he felt a small fraction of his pain drift away, making it easier for the man to relax, even if only for a moment.

He hung his head back as he stared up at the ceiling with his auburn bangs bending backwards along with the rest of his short, unkempt mane as he closed his eyes, trying to recollect himself once more.

_What the hell was that just now? I hadn't felt anything like that sinc-_

Another hiss had snaked out of his mouth as he bit down on his lip, but his sharp canine punctured the plump flesh, letting out a tiny droplet leak out as he finally found the shrink's card that he had given him on their appointment not so long ago.

_'Use this to keep a daily log of your thoughts and emotions and write this down at the end of each day. Come back by the end of the month so that I can assess it and tell you if there's anything really serious going on in your head. And here's my number,' _The sleek, thin framed man said as he shook gave Ichigo the card while pushing up his rectangular glasses, _'And at the bottom, there's my cell phone number, but only call if it's a dire emergency, understood?'_

"Sweet Jesus, I can't believe I'm doing this," The man grumbled as he sat up, feeling the immense pain bite him back in the abdomen as he got out his cell and punched in the number, and patiently waited for the rings to end.

"Hello?"

"Uh, yes, this is John Collins, your patient. I'm calling to see if you can make an in-home appointment."

"I'm sorry, but I don't offer those kinds of services, Mr. Collins."

"Please, can you make an exception?" Ichigo swallowed as the twinge started to act up again, making it seem as if the world was running out of oxygen.

"I'm afraid I can't do tha-"

"I'm begging you," The man wrapped a hand around his own throat and his fingernails began to dig into his flesh in an attempt to release himself from the pain, "I need drugs. _Now. _Diagnose me with something, _anything; _I just want this pain to stop."

"…Give me five minutes. Don't operate any machinery. Have you taken any drugs?"

"I'm out."

"Then don't. Drink some water and just lie down, you hear me?"

"Yeah," Ichigo mumbled as the phone line went dead and he set down the Blackberry, slightly excited that he would finally have a way to end his agony. But it was then that he realized that his true ecstasy would show at the sight of the deep-cerulean blood trickling from his wounds.

The scent of the euphoric liquid slowly wafted over to his nostrils, his keen sense of smell intensifying it tenfold, making the adrenaline in his veins pump through out his entire body, and he couldn't get enough of the smell.

In fact, it pleased him so much, it made him lick the corners of his mouth, grabbing each and every drop that had escaped from the tiny puncture in his bottom lip, and soon, he began to crave for more. His eyes caught sight of the forearm entirely covered in the navy liquid, and he let out a subtle groan of gratification as he brought the limb towards his mouth and sucked on the substance and in a single blink, his eyes flashed a prominent gold with black scleras behind it as he began to lose himself in his own drug.

Ichigo exhaled a deep breath as he saw the meat licked clean until there wasn't a trace, since the cobalt fluid had already started to alter to the normal crimson that he loathed, and soon, he turned to the other forearm for a source of said 'drug'.

Instinctively, his canines elongated to fangs and as he licked the surface before biting into the flesh and sucking it clean of its blood, the doorbell chimed suddenly, making his eyes turn back into that normal russet and his fangs had as his crave disappeared in an instant.

"Just a sec!" He hollered as he quickly ran to the bathroom to find some gauze to cover up the wounds, and within a matter of seconds, he had dressed the gashes on his arm and torso and quickly changed shirts before throwing the old one to the side before heading for the door and greeting his therapist.

"Good evening, Mr. Ishida. Won't you come in?" Ichigo asked smoothly as the corners of his mouth spread out into a classy grin, scoring a good impression with the shrink thus far.

"Thank you, , and you have a lovely abode, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks. Won't you take a seat?" The ginger politely asked, putting up a 'clean and proper' façade so that he wouldn't have any suspicions about the man.

"I think I will. Now, let's get to business," He muttered as he pulled out a small notebook out of his bag before swinging a leg over his knee and clicking his pen, "So tell me, what's up? Any unusual pains?"

"I have been having severe chest pains, headaches, dry mouth-ness, uhm, moist hands, and come to think of it, I haven't been getting a good amount of sleep."

"What about your mood? Are you tense, jubilant, depressed?"

"Hmmm, at times. I'm usually calm, but I do have to admit, I _have _been a bit stressed out more than usual recently. And my temper _has _been flaring up a lot."

"Really?" Mr. Ishida raised an eyebrow, "Do tell."

And as the man went on about his troubles, the frame-wearing therapist had became so intrigued in the drama, that he was paying more attention to _him _rather than his job, but he quickly regained focus as Ichigo was starting to wrap things up. Unfortunately, Ishida had grave news to tell the man, but he wasn't so sure he was ready to yet.

"John, I'm going to tell you right now, I think I might have a lead on what exactly is 'wrong' with you, but I'll have to ask you a couple of more questions just to confirm my hypothesis. Is that okay?"

"Sure, of course," Ichigo nodded as he swallowed his anxiety, while having to endure the subtle, but still throbbing ache of his chest.

"Have there been times in your life where, like, you can't remember _anything _about what had happened for an amount of time?"

"Uh, I assume this would exclude being under the influence?"

"Yes."

"…Sometimes, yeah."

"How often, say monthly, do you think these memory lapses occur?"

"I don't really have a solid answer for that one. It depends on a lotta things, I guess. Some have more than others. But I'd say one to three on average. Five max."

"And how long do you think these periods last?"

"Uh, I think my shortest was two days, my longest being…I think a month? Maybe two? I dunno if this is important or not, but there have been times in my life where like, there would be some kinda object, or sometimes, when I look at my handwriting, it looks completely different than how I usually write. It's so weird, it's like I'm watching a movie of my life and someone else is taking the wheel, not me."

"John," The man said, placing a hand on the ginger's shoulder, "You might want to smoke a cigarette or something for the news I'm about to tell you."

Those words alone made the Strawberry anxious and his aches started to act up again, making matters worse.

"This is not engraved in stone or anything, but judging from what you've told me, you may have DID."

"..._What?_" Ichigo blinked twice, feeling as if he had heard something in a foreign language.

"DID, or Dissociative Identity Disorder, is a mental diagnosis in which a person may have multiple personas inside of them and acts as if it's a being on all its own, so it does have the urge to take control of the body. So, that is more than likely the cause of your time lapses, periods of unconsciousness, and trauma."

"Oh God," Ichigo shuddered as he put both hands in his hair, trying to grasp what was being said to him.

"Now, now, it's nothing to be ashamed about, I would just imagine it'd be confusing and a hassle-"

"A hassle?" The man hissed, "For all I know, I could've 'unconsciously' murdered someone! Oh sweet Jesus," He chanted.

"And that's why I," Dr. Ishida said as he got out a mysterious box, "Am going to prescribe you some medication in order to lessen your pain. You take one a day, got it?"

"Uh-huh," Strawberry nodded.

"And in the event you experience any…_unusual_ side-effects, take another one immediately."

"What kinda twisted logic is that? Fighting fire with fire will only make a giant flame that'll burn down the entire forest."

"They'll cancel each other out and-"

"No, that'll just worsen things."

"Okay, well, once you find a better solution, let me know," The shrink said as he got his stuff ready and put on his coat, but right as he was about to step out the door, a rough hand gripped his elbow, nearly crushing the joint with its power.

"Solution for _what, _exactly?" The auburn-haired male said through clenched teeth, watching the pair of rectangles curve towards his line of sight, making him look even more suspicious than he already was.

The shrink chuckled smugly, making Strawberry's grip on him tighten until his hold on him broke the pale man's elbow, making the _crack _that slipped from it echo throughout the barren household, and the upset ginger shook him off, seeing the broken arm hang loosely as he tried to avoid the disgusting sight of the cracked bone sticking out of place.

"You should know _very _well about the consequences of using your supernatural powers on a _human_, don't you?" Ishida smirked, making Ichigo let out a growl and then rushed over and slammed his body up against a wall while holding him up in the air by a hand on his throat.

"You're not a regular human if you know what I am then."

"Correct; I am actually a bounty hunter for all things alien and supernatural. Including you, vampire."

"…_What?_"

Before he knew it, Ichigo had a silver pistol cocked beneath his throat, not believing was what happening.

"Now tell me where's the rest of your nest is before I end your pitiful life, bloodsucker."

A snicker escaped from Ichigo's teeth, causing a raised eyebrow to form on the indigo-haired man's face.

"Why are you laughing? Is this some kind of form of insanity you mentioned earlier from your disorder?"

That final word made the male's mirth end immediately, making all of the muscles in his body tighten up.

"For starters, you need to brush up on your 'Supernatural Creatures for Dummies', because Iam most definitely _not _a vampire."

"B-But you-"

"Oh, and ya mind taking your gun off my neck? It's making me mighty uncomfortable."

"…Fine," The indigo-haired man took the weapon off of Ichigo's skin, but he still had a firm grip on the cold metal, "However, you have fangs. I saw them as you talked-"

"But that doesn't mean I'm a vampire. These right hurr," Ichigo motioned with his finger inside his mouth, pointing to the teeth that changed to fangs in an instant, "Are my 'stabilizers', if you will."

"And what about sunlight?"

The ginger groaned as he walked towards the drapes, quickly pulling them apart and let the light of noon illuminate the room as Ichigo shot an indifferent look towards the 'bounty hunter'.

"Do you see my ass sparkling?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"No…"

"What about burning? Do you see any smoke?" He asked sarcastically, turning around to try to look at his butt.

"No-"

"So I am most _definitely _not a vampire. I actually find it a tad offensive that you would call me something as…animalistic as that. I think I at least have more pedigree than that," Ichigo flashed a grin as his shadow formed into moving swirls, but fortunately, they hid in the silhouette of the doorway, so the man couldn't tell them they were right below him.

"So, if you're not a vampire…than just what the hell are you?"

"You know, they're more than just vampires out there, kid. Be careful who you're talking to."

And right then, the man fell unconscious as swirls of ebony outlines with crimson lessened away from his body, leaving it in a comatose state.

"Sorry bud, can't have ya knowing too much about me. Besides," Ichigo muttered as he picked up the box of pills, analyzing it closely, I don't know whatcha got here. But it wouldn't hurt to try it.

"_You sure you wanna try that, pardner?"_

"I knew you had to pop in _sometime _today. I just knew it. I was actually surprised you didn't take control and kill that man on the spot when he figured out something was up."

_"I just wanted to see how you'd handle it. Gotta say, it was quite entertaining, buddy boy."_

"Hmm, it's unlike you to just stand by and watch."

_"S'cuse me for being tired 'cause you stay up 'til fuckin' two in the morning," _The cranky voice in Ichigo's mind groaned.

"Well," Ichigo sighed as he looked over at the unconscious body, "What are we gonna do about _this?_"

_"_We? _You must be out your goddamned mind. Your way of getting things done and my way of getting things done are _completely _different. If I had control, I would've killed that sonuvabitch the second he pulled that gun out. And then I would've-"_

"It doesn't matter now, he's knocked out for a good couple of hours and when he wakes up, he won't remember a single thing that happened," Ichigo sighed as he scratched the back of his head, trying to shake off his distress.

_"But lemme guess, you and your punk ass self are nearly shittin' themselves because you have 'guilt weighing down on your conscience' 'cause _you _ain't tellin' that skinny bitch that you're a-"_

"Hush," The ginger hissed.

_"You're a freak, Ichigo, and you know it. No way they'll think of you as the same again," _The nasty voice hissed in his head, making his blood boil.

"God, shut _up_ already," The male grumbled as he tried to find a distraction and glanced at the clock, reading '2:12 A.M.' letting out a sigh as rubbed his temples his callous fingertips, realizing that it was going to be yet, another long, restless night.

_"God, you're pitiful."_

"God, you're annoying," Ichigo mimicked as he slouched over to the bathroom and turned on the faucet, letting the sound of running water echo throughout the life-barren household.

He took off his frames before cupping his hands with water, and ran his wet palms through his mane as he hung his head for a second, and then raised it, looking at his 'distorted' reflection, but he wasn't surprised. He knew the other side of him had yet to rest.

In the mirror, was him—but completely different. With skin as pale as ivory and with the eyes that instantly sent chills down your spine, of course Ichigo wasn't in the least bit happy to see _him_, of all people.

_"Well, I guess it's been a long time since we met face-to-face, right?"_

"You've been bothering me a whole lot today. What's your deal?" Ichigo cocked an eyebrow, uninterested.

_"Tch, who pissed in _your_ cornflakes?"_

"You're awfully social today. Why?"

_"No reason. Just when you act shitty like this, it's that much easier for me to take control, so I'm just waiting 'til ya collapse," _The ashen-haired male flashed a lecherous smile back at the man, making his shrug with repugnance.

"You're disgusting," Ichigo snarled.

_"Likewise."_

"Mhmm," The male nodded nonchalantly as he turned off the lights, while hearing the protests of the other voice inside of his head.

_"You're such a dick, cutting me off like that!" _It screeched.

"If I'm such a dick, then it shouldn't be that hard to swallow," Ichigo shrugged as he slipped out of his clothes before putting on some sweats while throwing his shirt to the pile of clothes on the floor, since the humidity of the house kept him warm enough that he wouldn't need a shirt.

After observing for a minute, he realized that the other part of him had ceased fire with his pointless comments and insults, making the man's mouth curl up into a slight smile, followed by a smug chuckle.

_"Don't think you can get rid of me so easily, Ichigo," _The eerie voice said as it faded away like sand blowing in the wind, which made the male slightly paranoid about any future attacks the monster could pull later, but he shrugged it off with a sigh.

"Don't worry, I'm still trying to figure that out," Ichigo mumbled as he picked up the notebook, staring at it for what seemed to be like an eternity at the mysterious shrink's number. He then turned to the unconscious body, which reminded him that he needed to 'put the toys back where they belong'.

Quickly, he fetched out his cell, punching in a couple of numbers and waited for the shrill rings to pass, getting more impatient by the second.

"Hello?" A rough, but soft-spoken male answered the phone.

"Ey, yo Pitbull," Ichigo grinned as he swung a leg over his knee, "I gotta favor to ask ya."

"And just what is this favor?"

"Well, let's just say that I'll be lookin' for a new shrink."

"…You killed somebody?"

"Now, now, when did you jump to that ridiculous conclusion? Nah, I just need you to drop off somebody-"

"Dead, alive, or unconscious?" The male on the other line interrupted.

"Unconscious; and he needs to stay that way until he gets dropped off."

"Where at?"

"Uh," The fiery-maned gent paused as he looked at the psychiatrist's card once again, "He lives at the Avery Complexes."

"Okay, but who's the guy?"

"Uryu Ishida, a therapist."

"Alrighty then, I'll swing by in half an hour…not that it's any of my business, but why do you have a psychologist at your house?"

"You really wanna know? Well, since you're doing me a favor and all, I guess a secret is nothing in these kind of terms, so I'll letcha in on it," Ichigo paused, waiting a moment to build up the suspense, "The only reason I had a shrink in my house was because I needed drugs. He said it might be something more than the drugs' effects and withdrawal and turns out, I am diagnosed with a disorder that has me living two separate lives."

The man on the other line busted out in laughter, nearly choking on the very air he was breathing on; and while _he _was having a jolly old laugh, Ichigo could only form a mock smile as he waited for the mirth to end.

"Whoo, that was a good laugh. Ahahaha, well, I'll come at 3-ish and-"

"Mmkay."

_Click._

"Hardy-har-har," Ichigo sneered as he slouched back to the couch and lay back with hands over his head while gazing up at the ceiling.

Bored with nothing to do, he shut his eyes as he tried to unwind, but that uneasiness from before still wouldn't settle down. His body was halcyon, but his mind was not, making him even more anxious than he was before.

_I've got to find a way to calm down before I wreck myself, _Ichigo thought as he rolled over on one side of the couch and remained still for a couple of moment before his body soon started to lose consciousness and drift off to sleep and begin dreaming.

It began like any other dream-you couldn't remember how it started; only how it ended. But this dream…it'd be one he'd remember for the rest of his life.

Ichigo had found himself slumped against a slab of upright concrete and in some odd attire—ash army clothing with a grey helmet two sizes too big latched onto his fluff of orange.

"It's 'bout damn time you woke up, lazy ass."

The man turned to his right, seeing an azure-haired officer kneeling with a sniper in hand as he squinted his eyes and let out a chuckle full of glee as he pulled the trigger, and the sound of the shot was definitely a wake-up call for the Strawberry.

"What the _hell _are you doing?" He exclaimed with disbelief.

"…Shooting peoples. Where the hell have _you _been, Ichigo? Take a look around you; it's kill or _be _killed," The man mumbled as he ducked behind the building's edges and reloaded while the other male realized where he was.

He was in the middle of a war zone, with burning buildings and gory corpses galore. His eyes noticed that the two were in the middle of a building that had collapsed in half, but the remaining chunks of the walls served as shelter. But what had shocked Ichigo was not how bloody the sun was that evening, or how much strife was between the two opposing sides, but the fact that the city he was born and raised in, the only place he's ever _truly _loved and admired, was crumbling away right before his eyes. And it was then that he recognized the shoddy, yet pleasant apartments he spent his childhood in, and almost instantly, he was pulled to it; almost as if there was some kind of invisible magnetic force behind it.

_This can't be…_

It wasn't long before his friend realized that he was about to walk out in the open road, which was a death wish. Grimmjow quickly dropped his gun and dashed towards the guy and pulled him back by the collar, nearly choking him as the both fell backwards, and as a result of their noise, the fire of gunshots went off, paralyzing Ichigo with fear.

"Fuckin' dumbass, have you lost your goddamned _mind! _There is a sea of bloodthirsty humans out there wanting to kill each and every one of your kind off! Do you _want _to die early?" The tan-skinned male panted.

"Grimmjow…where are we?"

"Whaddaya mean 'where are we'? Don't you recognize it?"

"I can't recognize a thing when almost everything is burned to the ground," The auburn-haired male said solemnly.

"You…seriously can't remember?"

"Just tell me where we are, goddamit!" Ichigo seethed with rage, meeting the somber sky blue irises of the other man, who then slowly closed his eyes.

"It's your home …Bosnia."

"…Oh God," The Strawberry covered his mouth as he felt the sensation of throwing up climb up his throat.

"Are for real? You can't remember anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"You…you don't remember what happened back in '10? Aizen's betrayal? The government declaring a state of emergency once they found out that you all were 'inhuman'? You can't remember a lick of it?"

"W-What? Where is everybody?" Ichigo asked as he tried to process this in his mind, but his confusion refused to let it settle in.

"Well, we're all scattered, so I dunno who you mean specifically."

"Aizen. Shinji. Nel…Orihime…and Rukia."

"Shinji has some personal grudges to settle with Aizen, so he's trackin him down. Nel's trying to mediate with the government officials, but ever since that bastard backstabbed us, we've been fighting like this for ages. And it's all because of Aizen."

"And Orihime and Rukia?"

"Orihime was the main cause of our downfall because she's a spy for Aizen. Look, man, I'm sorry, I know she was your-"

"Save it," Ichigo held up a hand as he shook his hand, "Me and her are done; we had our times and what we had in the past will stay there because I refuse to linger on it any longer."

"Right."

"And Rukia?" The orange-maned male chimed, getting yet, another dismal look from his friend, which only made him more upset.

"Tell me before I start getting mad, Grimmjow."

"…Why can't you remember?"

"S'cuse me?"

"Why…can't you remember _anything _that has happened? Why can't you remember the betrayal that tore all of us apart or the start of the war or even what you did? How could you _not _remember murdering someone, for Crissakes?"

"Tell me who!" Ichigo yelled as he stood up and shook his shoulders. "Who did I kill?"

And right then, it was as if a Matrix moment had flashed by the man's eyes; to see the splatter of blood gush out of one side from the auburn-haired man's head as his body slammed into the cement floor lifelessly made the azure-maned man gasp with shock.

All Grimmjow could do was call his friend's name over and over again, but his false hope was quickly crushed as soon, his entire body was soaked with the deep, crimson liquid. In a spastic frenzy, the man did everything he could to try to save his friend, but his face remained as is—with eyes wide open and a gaping mouth. Soon, Ichigo's sense of both hearing and sight began to gradually fade away as he continued to watch the other man yell over the walkie-talkie, Ichigo had no clue what he was saying.

While his life flashed behind his eyes, the man wondered this was truly the end of him; if he would ever live to see another sunrise ever again; if he would ever see his friends again; or even if he would live to see the end of the war. But he knew none of these would be a possibility as he closed his eyes for the last time, with Grimmjow refusing to accept the death of his comrade and best friend.

"ICHIGO!"

"Am I dead? What's this warm light?" The man thought to himself as he floated in the nothingness, trying to figure out where on Earth he was. He slowly cracked open an eye, seeing an entire flood of crème surround every square inch around him, but for some strange, inexplicable reason, he felt at ease. It was if all of his woes and troubles had suddenly…disappeared. There was no more pain in his heart and it no longer hurt to breathe. Surprised by this discovery, he sat straight up and put a hand on his heart, feeling and hearing a steady beat pump through his veins.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead!" The face of a raven-haired girl chimed as it stared below at him, making him jump out of skin by the surprise; but once he had a moment, he smiled back at the girl, who was surprisingly cheery at the moment.

"Stupid, why are you on the floor?" She giggled as she offered the ginger a hand, in which he took.

"Let's just say my memory isn't that too good of an asset to rely on as of late," He mumbled as he intuitively embraced the girl, basking in the warm, gentle aura she gave off; and at the same time, relishing the petite, fragile body that made her look so frail in comparison to Ichigo's overpowering, husk body that nearly caused the girl to fall over.

"So, how on Earth are you here?" He asked as he got some space, taking in the sight of the female while still having a firm grip around her hips, and for once, the man actually let out a pure, genuine smile out of sheer happiness.

_But all of that would vanish right before his eyes._

"You still haven't answered my question, ya know," He chimed.

The girl looked at him curiously with wide eyes. "Hmmm?"

"Why are you here? Wait, where _are _we in the first place?"

"Stop asking so many questions," Rukia said in almost growl, shocking the man that she had changed her moods like _that. _"Just…enjoy the peace while you can—it's not going to last for long."

Ichigo blinked a couple of times to be sure he heard her right. He placed both hands on her, and looked her in the eyes, sensing that something wasn't right about her. He placed a hand on her sternum and the other on her shoulder.

"Rukia, what do you mean by that?"

"_Ya should've listened to her, Ichigo."_

A pool of crimson flashed before the man's eyes as it splattered all over his face, but the pain and agony of the horrifying sight on front of him was much more horrendous.

His eyes saw his elongated ebony claws sticking out of the girl's flesh as a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth and saw droplets of the crimson liquid fall from his edges of his talons.

Slowly and carefully, he pulled his hand out of her, making the woman gasp as she lifelessly fell towards Ichigo, who caught her in his arms. His bloody, indigo-hued nails retracted back into his normal human hands, but that still didn't change the fact that he stabbed Rukia.

"W-Why…would you do such a thing…Ichigo?"

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know how it hap…wait, what did you call me?"

"That's right; you've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you? She croaked as she spat out more blood with some it landing on his face and clothes. "'John Collins' my ass…and…you're not human either. You're a-"

Right before his eyes, the body of the bleeding female had transformed into a group of small, illuminating orbs of light that danced in the air and soon, floated away until the man could no longer see them.

Struck with grief and shock, he fell to his knees with his mouth gaping in disbelief. He couldn't fathom what had happened or even _why _it was happening. All he knew was that he suddenly and subconsciously killed an innocent being, and one of special importance to him at that. He didn't even know why or _how _he did it, but he couldn't get the fact that he was the girl's murderer.

"NO, DAMMIT!" He yelled out. "No, no, no, no, no! This is _NOT _happening!"

"_Oh, but it is, pardner," _The devious voice chuckled, and soon, a swirl of white was in front of Ichigo's eyes, which transformed into the devilish being that the man had despised so much. It walked towards the ginger and crouched down, tilting his head to the side in a mixture of curiosity and pity. "_Do you know how much you piss me off? And just when I thought you had grown some balls, you act like a complete pussy and break down like a castle a' cards. So, you killed a girl. So what? You did far worse. Don't see why you stopped doing that stuff, tho._"

"No, you're wrong," Ichigo shook his head as he stood up. "_I _didn't kill Rukia…_you _did."

"_Aight, I admit it,_" The pallid being held up his hands with a giant, lecherous grin, _"But while I'm here, let me tell ya something, ya little shit,_" He hissed as he pinned Ichigo down on the floor, and it was then that the ginger realized that his enemy had drew out his claws, which were holding down the man's wrists. He got a good whiff of the Strawberry's scents, and instinctively, his fangs protracted in excitement, which were mere inches away from his face, but Ichigo bared his own fangs in caution to the monster on top of him.

"Get. Off," He hissed, but the behemoth countered with a more powerful feral snarl that made the man shut up and back off.

"_The fuck you think you are, baring your fangs at _me? _I am the motherfucker who gave you those fucking fangs so you better damn well retract 'em. And the next time you try to flex to me, I'll rip those goddamned teeth out with my own fucking hands, you fucking piece of shit, do you understand?"_

"Whatever," Ichigo mumbled, but he felt a thousand hells sting into his wrists, letting out a guttural cry of agony.

"_Retract…your fangs._"

Instantly, the man did as he was told, and the pain immediately ceased, but those damned golden irises he hated so much were still staring back at him, but this time, with a mixture of emotions that he couldn't quite make out.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"_I actually thought about ripping your eyes out, because I loathe the look you give me each time. It's pathetic, it's disgusting, it pisses the fuck outta me. But, at the same time,_" The being began, but then paused as he began to think some things over. "_Nevermind, it's not important. But, you've learned your lesson, so I guess you've suffered enough. And…the fuck is that?_" He growled as he looked above him, making Ichigo do the same and they saw a strange, light green aura hover above them, but instead of making a grouchy complaint and swear like a sailor, like Ichigo thought he would, the monster nodded, almost as if in acknowledgment, and then looked down at the man.

"_Nel's waiting for ya,_" The ashen fiend almost said nonchalantly.

"I find that funny how you don't badmouth her like every other living being I meet."

"_She just doesn't irritate me, even though she's a Heaven Sent. But enough of that, I'm running on borrowed time here," _The beast shrugged.

"Okay, but you mind gettin' off my dick?" Ichigo asked impatiently.

"_Nah, considerin' how much you hate it. Besides, I'll only torture for a little bit, so just endure it. Now, listen t' me, 'cause I'm too lazy to repeat myself: You killing yer midget was only an illusion, as you should've figured. Think of it as my way of saying, 'Warning: if you tell her, you're fucked'. And if she finds out whatcha are, there's no way in hell she'll take it calmly. You better take my advice, considering I'm what, 1000 years older than you? I've handled this shit. You haven't. You do the math."_

"But hiding it-"

"_Hey, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. That's all I gotta say about it. Oh, and I got somethin' to ask ya."_

"Okay?"

The monster craned his neck down to Ichigo's ear and whispered, "_How come you haven't fed in days? I'm starving. Actually," _He chuckled as he made his way down to the neck, licking the flesh with his indigo tongue vigorously. "_I think I might have a sample of you, Ichigo_."

In an instant, the pallid being's ivory fangs dropped down and with a hungry growl, he latched himself onto Ichigo's neck, making him experience the true meaning of pain and pleasure coexisting, but he found that all to be one, big illusion—just like his other self had told him.

"It's about time you done woke up," An ivy-haired woman nodded as she continued to radiate a sea green aura from her hands, which floated around the man's body. He looked down at his own chest, seeing the olive orbs land on his wounds and repair the tissue the instant they landed on the flesh and within moments, his muscles worked just as well as they did before.

"The hell did you get yourself in, boy?" The woman shook her head as she gave a small glare towards the Strawberry, who only let out a sigh, since he didn't quite know himself.

"Nel, don't take this the wrong way, but," He mumbled as he sat up, seeing the spheres slowly fade away, indicating that he was fully healed. "Why are you here?"

"I couldn't sleep," She shrugged.

"That's your excuse?" Ichigo cocked an eyebrow.

"I wasn't finished," Nel said. "I was stressed out about a lot of things, so I went to go meet with one of my close friends, who is an aeon, to talk it out. But on my way there, there was this _immense_, dark atmosphere that was full of so much disdain and anger, it…it nearly _suffocated_ me! So, I tracked down the source of said bad energy and I was shocked to find that it was coming from _you._"

"_Me_?" Ichigo blinked.

"Yup. I was surprised too. But then, when I did my thing and heal ya up, I found out that it wasn't actually you, but…"

"I know," He sighed, placing a hand on his heart. "The thing inside of me."

"Yeah. But what really made me shiver was how much blood there was all over your couch and I nearly threw up," Nel mumbled as she swallowed a gulp of anxiety.

"Oh. OH! Your fear of blood! Damn, I'm awful sorry about that," Ichigo apologized sheepishly, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"It's fine; I told my fear to shut up. I had to suck it up to save my friend and I did, thank God."

"Nel, you have no idea how grateful I am to you. I mean, I've always been grateful to you, for saving my ass back in South Carolina, but-"

"Hush, child," She chuckled as she ruffled Ichigo's hair. "You're like my brother. We're family—we gotta look out for each other. Now," The woman began as she sat on the couch next to the man, looking him dead in the eye. "Tell me what happened."

"I...don't even know," Ichigo laughed in disbelief, making a slight frown settle on the woman's face. "It was just so fucked up…I'm starting to think I need to be restrained in an asylum or something."

"Just start from the beginning and whatever it is-"

"They started happening again," The male blurted out on an impulse. "The dreams."

"How bad was it?"

"Well, for the first one,-"

"Wait a minute, you had more than one?" Nel queried, getting a single nod from the ginger, making her hands tremble slightly.

The man began his tales of his chimeras, trying to have a strong grip on his emotions as he did so, but even at certain points of the story, he felt pangs stab him like a knife.

"Ichigo…" Nel muttered as she pulled the man towards her as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I actually felt human again. It was as if I didn't have a shitty past haunting my each and every move; or as if I didn't have this huge weight on my shoulders because I have to hide who I _truly _am and be John Collins, the human sociopath whose whole life is a lie. I was free of all pain and suffering…it was all going so well…but that all changed when I…when I…I killed Rukia. And the fucked up part about it is that I don't even know why or when I did it. All I saw were my claws longer than they had _ever _been. Like I was a fucking monster or something. But then again, I guess I am, considering what I am," He chuckled.

"No, honey, you're far from that," She soothed him as she ran her hands through his spiky fiery mane. "You have a heart. You care about those around you, and you would lay down your life to protect the ones you love. Monsters don't. And you're not alone. You have an _entire _family of people who love you and we don't care if you're human or not. Look at me, I was shunned by my own kind, and yet, I manage to smile everyday. And you know why? It's because I found a new, _better _family to care for me. And if you were any different, then I don't think you meeting any of us…would've ever happened….except one person, however."

Ichigo looked up with curiosity, not sure what she meant. "Who?"

"Don't play dumb," Nel raised a thin, plucked line of ivy. "That girl of yours you have a thing for."

"But…why her?"

"You're gonna think I'm crazy, but, I think I sense something 'pure' about her. Like, inside—her soul. Fate hints to me that y'all were destined to meet."

"Tch, I don't buy any of that. Sorry, but I don't."

"They say angels can't tell a lie," Nel teased.

"Doesn't mean they have to tell the whole truth. But Nel," He said, changing the subject. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, first things first, we need to be sure that you inner 'self' doesn't get off the leash, so I'll cast a spell, just in case," She uttered a couple of chants before touching the top, bottom, left and right of Ichigo's face, causing a bright blue mana to emit from her fingertips; and it gradually made its descent down to Ichigo's heart, seeping through the very flesh until it was _actually _inside of him, making him involuntarily grunt.

"There, that should do the trick; but Ichigo, remember that like everything else out there, it'll weaken with time. I can't guarantee that your…other self will be restrained for long. If anything, I'd say maybe 2 months. Three tops. Anger will only weaken the barrier, so if you know you're gonna get upset or stressed out, just leave the scene."

"Thanks a lot, Nel," Ichigo nodded as he licked his dry lips, pondering to himself on what his inverse had said to him.

"_You're a freak, Ichigo, and you know it. No way they'll think of you as the same again."_

Yeah, tell me about it.

"Hey, Nel?" The ginger said as he popped his knuckles.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think those dreams I had…mean anything?"

"In my honest opinion, I think that 'thing' inside of you is trying to tell you something they couldn't regularly say. I mean, I know you're half human and all, but don't you think it has feelings too?"

"_HA!"_

"I'm serious! It shares the same body as you, so naturally it would have _some _emotions."

"The only emotions _he _has is a thirst for blood, and a hunger for sex. But come to think of it, now that we're talking about emotions and all that jazz, I forgot I had something else to tell you. Okay, so you see these right here?" The man asked as he held up the box of pills the (now unconscious) shrink had given him. "This is my cover for 'John'. My story is that John has DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and considering my situation, I think it fits right into place. With the split personalities and memory lapses, it fits like a perfect key."

"Wait, hold on a minute," Nel shook her head. "So, you're telling me that you're making a cover-"

"In case my beast gets outta control, yes. I can't just make everybody who saw _it _take over forget about it. I can only knock 'em out every so often, and all that's coming from _him. _I got lucky tonight, since I had to do that with Mr. Shrink over there," He pointed to the unmoving body behind the door, which Nel had just realized 'til now.

"A-Are you crazy? That's an actual human! It has _needs _and uh, it's easy to break! This ain't a plaything, you know…more like a rag doll, by the look of this fella's arms," She commented as she lifted the lanky limb. "But you forgot that humans are fragile! They're…_sensitive."_

"Yeah, I would now, considering I _am _one."

"Well, you're…_enhanced, _so that doesn't count! His bones could break like a twig!"

"Oh, shit, I forgot about his arm," He groaned. "I kinda…broke it."

"Ichigo, I swear, you owe me _big_," Nel pointed a finger in his face as she got up and situated the body before kneeling down beside of it and tending to his arm.

"But Nel, I gotta 'nother question."

"What?" She asked as her magick started to flow, illuminating the tiny space with miniscule jade looking fireflies.

"What am I gonna do about Rukia? I can't keep hiding this secret forever, ya know."

"Speaking of which, _where _is the girl? I haven't seen her in weeks!"

"I asked Byakuya to keep her at his dojo until things get cleaned up after that murder at King's ceremony or whatever. But like, I seriously can't think of any way to break it to-"

"I GOT IT!" Nel exclaimed with glee, feeling so proud of herself for thinking of such a genius plan. "She doesn't have to know about it all at once!"

"What do you mean?"

"What if _I _revealed that I wasn't human? That way, she'd kinda get used to the idea of there being different species about."

"But what if she doesn't take it well? What if she-"

"Ichigo!" She gasped, along with the small orbs, (who Ichigo was starting to think were actual beings) all turned a slight blue. "I am shocked and appalled that you'd even think she'd betray us like that! She's already keeping the whole TR deal hush-hush, so why not this?"

"Uhm, let's see, maybe because she's piss her pants finding out that creatures with horns, fire, and who knows what else are running around."

"I mean, yeah, any _normal _person would flip out, but she'd calm down…eventually. Listen, Ichi," Nel said. "I'm prolly the best person for her to talk to at this point. My revelation would soothe her, considering I'm 'holy' or whatever. She'd understand, believe me."

"But-"

"Stop worrying, everything will sort itself out," The woman nodded as she finished healing up the therapist.

"I…just hope I won't be too late."

"I believe in you. You'll know what to do when the time is right."

"Okay, but can you promise me one thing?"

"Sure, what is it?" She asked with interest.

"In case of a situation…that I utterly and completely go insane and lose myself…I need you to promise me you'll protect her and hide her somewhere safe until the storm's over. I need to know that she'll be safe, when I'm not there to protect her…or if my monster gains control of me. Can you be," Ichigo paused, unsure of how his long-time friend would take his request. "Rukia's guardian angel?"

* * *

A/N: Ah, kinda short one for this chapter, but don't fret; There's plenty more secrets, drama, and _blood _on the way:D And before someone nags to me, NO. Ichigo is NOT a vampire. (Hence the small Twilight pun I put in there). BUT, I'll make you darlings a little offer: The first one to (comment in a review) guess what Ichigo is will get an exclusive insider from me concerning the next...hmmm..2-3ish chapters? I have a huge mouth and tell a lot more than I should, so, if you wanna know, REVIEW. (and you actually have to say something about to the story too. Those that don't won't be counted, even if you are right). And if I left some stupid-ass mistakes on here, it's because I'm far too lazy to read over and edit 21 pages of this. Like, seriously. But if it's like, something major, then you better tell me. Thank you, Hese Solistisfor correcting my big boo-boo on the last one. Oh, and on one final note, some more good news: for my TNB (another Bleach fanfic) readers: yes, I'm starting back up that old dinosaur. And it's gonna go off with a bang! Stay tuned!


	8. The Catastrophe: Dio Jedan

"He said _what?"_ The wide-eyed man asked in utter disbelief while fidgeting with his long crimson mane out of sheer anxiety. It was as plain as day that he wasn't happy with the news I delivered to him. And yet, there was a tiny voice in the back of my head that keeps on nagging that I should've just let John handled it, but I got too cocky once I heard the news from my brother.

"Clean out those nasty ears so I don't have to repeat myself! Byakuya said he 'approves' of John so you can chill out! I don't see why you're flipping out, it's not like we're dating," I huffed, blowing a stray strand out of my face and crossed my arms, turning my back away from the stupid baboon.

"Nothing to flip out about? There's _plenty _to flip out about, Rukia! You just met the guy two-"

"Three," I corrected, knowing exactly how this was gonna go down.

"Three days ago and you _already _spent the night at his house? If I didn't know you, I'd think you were a complete whore."

OOH, that did it. He set fire to a ticking time bomb and it was about to explode with a bang that would scar him for life.

Not saying a word, I simply got up from the couch and made my way for the door, then turning around to look that bastard in the eye.

"You know what Renji? _Fuck_ you. And to think you'd _actually _care, or at least be happy for me, but no. You're just too selfish to give a fuck about _anyone _anymore. And you have the nerve to act as if you're my own father, like, for real? Are you _seriously _going to act so immature like that? You're…unbelievable. You are a heartless, stubborn, arrogant dick who thinks that he's _the _man that rallies all of the troops and act like he's the leader. But it's whatever. You can go on with your shit—it's not like I care anymore. But bear this in mind," I growled, holding up a finger. "I will never _ever _talk to you again, until you grow some balls and man up. Then, when you have them ready to apologize to both me _and _John, I'll listen."

"Rukia-"

"But 'til then, you can just go fuck yourself."

_Slam._

Now, you may be wondering: 'Rukia, why did you just straight out go bitch-mode on his ass? Is it your time of the month?'

Well, long story short—he's an ass. Nuff said. If he refuses to accept John as my friend, well then so be it; I won't accept _him._

I've been thinking about some things (probably too much)—about what has happened these past couple of days and it made me realize—I've been changing. But was I changing so much that I would snap at my own best friend? I have so many questions, but I'm still stuck here, waiting for the answers that I fear may never come.

It was then that I had an epiphany. Waiting around would do no good, except to bring me bad news. I remembered the first day I stepped into this 'new world' in which I was now stuck in. I remembered how Renji was telling me diddly squat about my 'job' and in the end, I realized that one less question was off the list of queries because I had actually dug for them. But the only question that was dancing around in my head at the time was how far did I have to dig before I realized I was digging my own grave?

But at the moment, I just wanted to go somewhere, _anywhere _away from that baboon. I had had enough of his crap. It was pathetic—nearly made me feel sorry for him, but I already went through that maze and it led back to where I had started. I had given up on him, because his ignorance and arrogance were as disgusting as body odor, and I wasn't going anywhere near him until he got himself some AXE to mask that shit up.

I was so frustrated; I headed straight for home, where nobody or nothing could bother me. And boy, was I happy to swing that dusty old door and smell the plug-in Febreeze that made the whole room smell like fall's breeze and cinnamon. It was here, in my own sanctuary, where I could finally relax. You have no idea how relieved I was to be back home.

I immediately popped in a DVD of _TRUEBLOOD _and heated up half a box of quesadillas before gorging myself of the excitement, and dare I say, 'rush', of watching two drop-dead (ironic, considering they've been dead for decades), _smokin' _vampires fight to the death on my TV-screen, shirtless. I was watching the entire episode with an eager grin on my face, letting out hoots and squeals whenever an epic one-liner was said, or something along those lines. I actually kicked back and enjoyed myself, which is something I haven't done in a _long _time. And even thought it had only been for a couple of days, I missed my 'me' time and my humble abode. But consequently, I felt a bit alone too. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it was as if something was…_missing_. But what that was, I hadn't the slightest clue.

In the midst of my train of thoughts, they had somehow crawled back to Renji, and it got immediately rejected. I knew that was the _last _thing I needed.

Then, I heard my phone ring and I paused the action on the screen as I check who's calling, seeing that it was Nel, which I didn't expect.

"Hell-o?" I chimed.

"Hola!" She practically sang over the line. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm being a lazy couch potato," I yawned.

"Ha, aren't we all? Listen, I got somethin' to ask ya."

"Si?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, although she couldn't see it.

"You wanna go shopping with moi? I don't think I've taken you out.

"Uhm, sure! When?"

"Say, in a couple of hours?"

"Alrighty then, I'll pick ya up then."

Putting my phone back into my pocket, I laid back in the huge sofa, but for some reason, I couldn't relax anymore. I didn't know whether it was because I was a bit excited or still agitated, but no matter how hard I tried to settle down, I always felt a bit uncomfortable, as if somewhere deep inside, I was just really…sad.

The only logical cure I could think of were my cigarettes, but when I went to go look in my purse, they were gone, which made my day even _better. _

Groaning, I got out of the couch as I slowly slouched to the doorway as I grabbed my purse and headed out the door, quickly running the stairs, and opened the door to the small Shoppe on the ground floor, hearing the chimes of the entrance jingle as soon as it closed shut. I looked around to see if there was anybody in the store, but it was as lifeless and as abandoned as a cemetery.

"Hell-o? Anybody here?" I hollered over the counter, but I saw no one. Exasperated, I closed my eyes while letting out a sigh, tired from all of the nonsense that was swirling around me.

"Awh? Are they not open?"

I jumped in my skin at the sound of the voice, hearing it giggle behind me, making my cheeks flush a deep cherry.

I turned around and saw a somewhat tall-ish ginger look at me with big, grey eyes that made me unusually nervous. I took a look-ver of the woman, seeing that she was nicely dressed in a plain, bit a bit racy ivory V-neck, showing off her bosoms while a rosy cardigan hung on its sides, complimenting the simple pearl necklace that was laid perfectly on her collarbones. And if I was looking at her, I'd think she was wearing no pants, because her shorts were so short, they should have a limit to how much leg you can show.

"Well, _someone's _a bit jumpy today," The female laughed as she made her way over to me. She just stood there and analyzed me for a second before extending out her hand with a huge smile. "Name's Orihime. And you?"

"Why are you introducing yourself?" I queried with a raised eyebrow, since this woman literally _just _popped out of nowhere.

"It'd thought it'd be polite to at least introduce myself to my new neighbor."

"Huh?" I gawked.

"Yup; I moved in right across from you, and I tried to stop and say hey, but you were off in such a hurry, I couldn't catch up, 'til now."

_I was in a hurry?_ I pondered to myself, but quickly shook it off. "Uh, I apologize for being so brusque earlier, I really do. And I'm Rukia," I smiled as I shook her hand. "Tell ya what, lemme take ya out to coffee—it's the least I can do."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, I can't let you do that-"

"I _insist._"

"One strawberry frappe and a caramel mocchiatto."

"Thanks," I nodded as I took the drinks from the clerk and brought them over to the table where Orihime was and I sat down in the seat across from her as she let out an 'Ooh' as she slurped her drink immediately.

"You don't drink coffee?" I asked curiously with a sip.

"Nope. I think it's bitter and gross and ew. That, plus, I don't drink caffeine.

"Uh," I cleared my throat, "You said you were _how _old again?"

"24, but since I act like a complete ditz, at least that's what I get told, I get asked that a lot. I find it kinda funny, now that I think about it."

"So, you don't drink or smoke?"

"Nope."

"Then why were you in a convenience store with 95% of their products being tobacco or alcohol?"

"…I wanted to get a pack of Sour Patch Kids," She admitted sheepishly, making me feel completely stupid and rash and "Oh" was all I could manage to say.

"But never mind that," Orihime waved her hand. "Why did _you _need to get there in such a hurry, hmm?"

"…I needed to get some cigarettes…"

"Why the glum face?"

"Huh?" I raised my head.

"It's not like I have anything against people who do _do _that stuff, it's just that _I _don't do it."

"Just out of curiosity," I rambled as I slurped down the last of my drink. "What exactly is your reason for not smoking or whatever? I mean, I don't mean to-"

"No, no, it's fine," The woman patted my hand before exhaling a deep sigh while staring into the creamy cloud that floated on the top of her strawberry drink. "Actually, I think it's more than one reason. I mean, I kinda had a rough childhood, but I don't want to bore you or whatever."

"Nonsense," I shook my head. "Don't worry; mine wasn't exactly a walk down the yellow brick road either. But I'm not going to force you to open up about something you're insecure about. That choice is completely up to you."

"Thank you Rukia, for being so understanding—I really appreciate it. Anyways, when I was a kid," The ginger paused to swallow. "My parents…didn't really do a good job of raising me and my brother. My dad was a drunkard and my mom was a pot head. Perfect couple, don't you think? And soon, they started getting more and more obsessed with money and it came to the point that we started sneaking and moving out of apartments so we wouldn't have to pay the rent. Eventually, it got so bad, that it took a toll of the two of them, and while my brother was off finishing college, my parents started to abuse me and then, one night, when they had passed out from partying, my brother took me away and from then on, I never looked back. I started living with him in his apartment and oh my Gosh, it was a blast," She laughed as the corners of her mouth curved upwards into a small grin.

"I remember," Orihime caught her breath as she started talking again. "us having so much fun and we did the stupidest stuff _ever. _My old brother, Sora, nearly choked on the very air he was breathing on once I told him I was boiling milk in a pan instead of using the microwave. Or the time when I got my period and he got me a diaper from the grocery store because he felt awkward to walk through the feminine aisle. Back in those days…I truly knew how to smile and laugh, ya know? It's like, as soon as you realize you're all alone in the world, everything seems so grim and you're like a grain of sand in the Mojave Desert. But the thing is, I don't want the wind to blow me in whatever way it wants. _I _want to be the one who's in control of my life, but nowadays, it honestly feels like my thoughts or what I have to say have no, like, effect on people, because they're too busy scowling and frowning down on people only to better their high-and-mighty selves. It's as if they don't even have the time to laugh anymore and…it makes me sad, to tell you the truth," She let out a deep sigh.

"But there are people who still smile, even in these times," I smiled as I placed a hand on her shoulder. "You just have to find them."

"But that's the thing! Sora was the only one who could make me smile but," She choked up as a stray tear ran down the side of her face, only to be wiped away by a hand. "But he's dead! He's dead, dead, dead, dead, dead! And how do you think _I _felt once I saw the bloody, shredded remains of his body in the street? How do you think that makes _me _feel, knowing that I'm all by myself? It's just not fair!" Orihime sobbed as the flood of despair started running from the corners of her eyes and streaked across her skin, ruining the makeup that had coated her face.

I felt a huge butcher knife of guilt stab me in the gut as she broke down like a choo-choo train. I couldn't just sit there and watch her cry, so I went over to her and offered the woman comfort and support while helping her out of her chair as she cried onto my shoulders. I didn't want to draw any more attention than we already did, so I took the quickest route out of the coffee shop and somewhere else.

After ten minutes of crying, falling, and walking, we got to a nearby park where we took a seat on the closest bench and the second Orihime let go of me, I let out a small gasp of relief at the weight taken off my shoulders (literally).

Once my ass sat down, I sighed as I closed my eyes for a moment to relax, hearing that the woman next to me was starting to calm down as well. It was then that it hit me that I have been here before; due to the all too familiar scent of the earthy foliage and trees. but I had forgot I left it on mute. I can't believe that I didn't recognize it when I had taken my first step in here—it was the exact same park that me and John had went to, making the sensation of nostalgia crash into me like a hurricane. I found it funny, considering that both of them had recuperated at the exact same park, while sitting in the exact same bench, and I had known them for less than 24 hours. Funny indeed.

My lips slowly parted in disbelief, and I was at a loss for words. I couldn't believe that I didn't recognize this place 'til now. It felt as if something had been blocking my senses, but I knew it was nothing to make a commotion about, so I quickly regained myself.

Orihime's sobbing had slowly ceased and I had noticed that her emotional stability had strengthened quite a bit.

"You feeling any better?" I asked with a small smile, but instead of replying with simple words, the ginger pulled me in for a brusque hug, which took me by surprise; but I returned it and patted her on the back, letting her know that she had a shoulder to cry on, even if the shoulder was small and tiny compared to said person.

"Thank you Rukia, for being there for me," She giggled as she relaxed and exhaled a deep breath, and I could somewhat sense that feeling of 'trust' established between us, despite knowing each other for only a couple of hours. A laugh came out of her mouth to shake off the uneasiness, but something overcame her the second she saw my necklace, and in her eyes, was _greed. _

"OOH, so pretty!"

"Don't _touch_ it!" I hissed as I slapped her hand away from the pendant, staring at the fear-stricken look on her face, staring at me as if I was some kind of animal; but the funny thing was, I thought so I was one too. How in the world my rage flared up like that, I had no idea. But what really shocked me was how I didn't have the slightest ounce of remorse stinging through my veins, like I normally would. Of all of the things to be guiltless about, and _this _just had to be one of them. My heart and my mind were complete inverses of each other, and yet, I still had the balls to give a cold, icy glare at the woman.

"I didn't mean to snap at you," I apologized.

Lie.

"That necklace is just really important to me," I continued.

"I'll say," The ginger sighed with disbelief. "You were like a Rottweiler guarding its turf—nearly made me pee my pants."

Rottweiler indeed.

"But why?"

"Huh?" I asked stupidly, getting caught off-guard.

"Like, why is it so important to you? Was it like your great-granny's treasured necklace or did you just pick it up somewhere?"

"More like…somebody gave it me."

"Awh, that's too cute! Who's the guy? Wait, it _is _a guy, right?"

"I'm straight as a line, Orihime," I mumbled in a matter-of-factly tone.

"…Lines cans be curvy."

"Then I'm a friggin' ruler.

"Rulers can be bent, so-"

"I'm strictly dickly! Is that clear enough for you?"

"Yup!" She grinned, but what for, I had no clue. Kind of creepy, to be honest.

"So, who's the fellow?"

"Uhm," I stalled as my fingers toyed with the jewel, thinking of a delicate, simple way to explain, but I couldn't risk giving anything away that would make her suspicious. "My friend gave it to me."

"Ohoho, this isn't just _any _friend, judging by your reactions."

"It's…_complicated._"

"Rukia," Orihime groaned as she placed her hand on mine. Why are you being so timid about the fact that you like this guy? It isn't that hard, so I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of it," She shrugged.

Instead of slapping whatever makeup she had left off of her face, I smiled like the Cheshire cat and let a small, devious chuckle slip out and act as if that didn't just downright insult me.

"I think _I'll _decide on what to decisions I'll make that concern me and my friend, but thanks you for your output, even if it wasn't needed.

"Crap, I did it again," She whined as she put her hand through her hair, and I couldn't tell if this was an act or not, but she was starting to give me the creeps. "My emotions got the better of me again and now I feel like a complete bitch. I shouldn't have stuck my nose where it didn't belong."

It sure enough didn't belong there.

"So, I guess what I'm trying to say," Orihime continued as she bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Rukia, please forgive me."

After pausing for a moment to see if I should forgive the woman or not (because I had _had _it with people that day), I nodded my head. "You know, I appreciate you having the balls to actually apologize. It proves to me that you're real and that you're actually down-to-earth. So, I forgive you."

"Ah, yay!" She clapped her hands together with glee. "And I know the _perfect _way to make it up to you!"

"Oh?" I asked with interest.

"My friend's having this kinda party thing and they said I could bring a guest, and _you're _gonna go with me!"

"Uh, as nice as that sounds," I protest with my hands up. "I'm not really one for parties and-"

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun, I promise! Plus, I'll fell really guilty and bad and stuff if you don't go."

I let out a sigh of exasperation as I gave a shrug. "Fine."

"Yay yay yay yay yay!" The ginger squealed, giving me a hug so tight, I could barely breathe.

"Now, ifyoucouldjustletgo," I squeaked, getting an immediate release from the Hulk grip.

"Oh, haha, sorry," Orihime muttered sheepishly, with a slight blush spreading on her cheeks.

And what happened the second she uttered those words was something so surreal, so unbelievable, I'm not even sure for myself if it actually happened. I felt something move under my neck, and it wasn't until I saw my own pendant FLOATING in front of my very own eyes that I thought I was losing it.

"Orihime, don't move—there is a black widow on your neck," I fibbed so that she wouldn't catch the weird look on my face or my bizarre necklace dancing in the air.

"WHAT?" She shrieked, but remained still as a statue. "Get it off! Get if off! Get it off!"

"Be patient," I growled as I continued to stare at the jewel.

I was awestruck as a I was dumbfounded, but the only thing I could pay attention to was the glowing sphere, and inside of it, were two central swirls of light teal and a gentle baby blue, and they danced alongside each other, as if the two were in a tango of some sort, complimenting the other with each motion they made; and in between them, was a thin, barely noticeable current of silver dust that I could stare at all day. 'Blue topaz' my ass. This jewel, crystal—_whatever_—was not from this from Earth; I was damn sure of that.

"Uh, Rukia? Can you get if off me before I die by a spider bite?" Orihime asked nervously.

I had a mini panic-attack as the woman slightly raised her head, and instinctively, I plopped the pendant into my mouth with my cheeks blown out like a pufferfish. I then brushed off nothing off of her neck as she let out a scream of fright as she ran around in circles, wiping nothing but dust off of her shoulder and body. She then turned to look at me, and you can kinda imagine for what kind of reaction she gave me.

"Uh, you okay Rukia?" The ginger asked with a look on her face that literally read 'What the _fuck _are you doing?'. But instead of glaring daggers at her (since I knew I would be the exact same way if I saw me), I went with it and acted as if I wasn't making a complete fool of myself.

"Mhmm!" I hummed with my mouth closed.

"Oh…kay then. I'll pick you up later for the party."

I mumbled something unintelligible gibberish, all while still having the pendant in my mouth, and judging by the look on her face, I could tell she was having second thoughts about showing me to her friends.

"Alright, uh…I'll…just go then," She pointed away as she turned back one last time, seeing a stupid girl with inflated cheeks wave like an idiot back.

Once I was positive the coast was clear, I spat out the jewel, seeing a long, thin trail of saliva make a bridge between the edge of my lower lip and to the rim of the crystal, which made me let out an 'ew' instinctively. Then, gravity started to take effect on the necklace, making it return back to normal, leaving me more confused than ever.

After cleaning the gem with the hem of my shirt, I held it up between my thumb and index finger, bringing it up to the sun's light, and looked into the heart of the stone. It was then that I noticed that all of the weird and surreal energy and materia that had been swirling about had now frozen, and it was as still as, well, a stone.

It also hit me then that it wasn't the pendant's glossy that made the stone reflect the rainbow, but the dust inside of it instead, which now appeared like regular granite, but there was still one, small, speck of dust inside of it. I could've sworn I did _not _see this before. There was something off about this necklace, that much was for sure, but I was just as clueless as the next Joe.

However, there _was _one person who knew how or _what _this thing was—the exact same one who gave it to me.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

* * *

A/N: I betcha ya didn't expect a chapter so soon, now didja?  
And before I continue, I'd like to thank my lovely watchers and reviewers for absolutely making my day. I love you all. You have no idea how much I love a review-even if it is short. I'd like to thank ~HeseSolistis, ~Rukes, and ~Falconrukichi for being so sweet on my reviews 3 Y'all are sweeter than a lump of sugar, I swear! But anyways, just letting y'all know I appreciate all feedback and the alerts and you all are so kind:D I would like to have more reviews, if possible(: Anyways, this one is kinda short, but I didn't want to cram all of the massive D-R-A-M-A that's about to happen in one chapter *cough cough like the first one* (OTL), so I'm breaking it down in parts. Just so y'all know, this comes BEFOREEEEEEE the previous chapter. It'll all explain itself soon. And on a side note, I am setting up a LIvestream account, and y'all can watch me type SP, LPF (Last Petal Falling-My Naruto Fanfic), and TNB (The Night's Bliss- Another Bleach fanfic) up live and I will be there personally, via chat, so you can talk to me one-on-one about what's going to happen and all that jazz. You can go to www. kanita-chan. deviantart. com and +devwatch me and I'll post whenever livestreams are on(: . AND NOBODY GUESSED WHAT ICHIGO IS! C'mon, people! Try! Reward is an insider! And remember:

READ AND REVIEW, **PLEASE!**

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	9. The Catastrophe: Dio Dva

_Dum Dum Dum._

"Hey! Rukia! You almost ready? It's time to _go! _I mean like, _now!_"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard ya," I hollered as I slipped on my heels while hopping on one leg to get to the door and open it, with my hair flying all about, and I was worried about messing it up.

The second I let Orihime in, my jaw literally dropped at how beautiful she was. She was wearing a sky blue dress that was high in the front, and draped behind her in the back, and the silver, embroidered one shoulder went nicely with her platinum heels, making her look like Aphrodite herself. I could only gawk at her, since her figure was _perfect. _Her boobs were like watermelons compared to my…apples. Then, I thought of how expensive such an extravagant dress must've cost, and I feel cheap, knowing that _my _dress was on the sale rack at Dillard's for $50. But I shook it off and gave her a hug.

"You're so pretty, Orihime!" I gushed as I motioned for her to turn around, and I felt even _more _jealous, knowing that she had junk in the trunk too.

"Awh, Rukia, you look like one of those little porcelain dolls my grandma had on her wall!" She squealed as she tucked the stray bang behind her ears, showing off her long, hanging, lines of diamond that shook as she walked, complimenting the row of diamonds around her neck, making me feel even more of a lousy-ass cheapskate. Just what kind of party were we going to anyway?

"Now, let's go already!" She hollered as she put on the fur wrap that had fallen off her shoulders and waited for me at the doorway.

"Go ahead, I need to find my clutch," I motioned for her to go away while frantically searching for the purse that was in the mass of junk in my closet.

She closed the door and without hesitating for a second, I ran to my room and swung open the doors, seeing the pile of shoes, purses, and clothes on the floor that haven't seen the light of day in some time. Strands of the giant curl of hair that was on my side kept on finding its way to my mouth, so I was searching for something that I hadn't seen in years, while bending in a tight dress, in heels, with hair in my mouth. Just lovely.

But God was smiling on me that night and gave me the answer that I had been searching for, and I literally leapt to my feet as I grabbed a silky, grey wrap that was on my bed and stuffed my essentials in the clutch, but before I ran out and locked the door, I caught a glimpse of me and my face in the mirror next to the doorway, and I froze in my tracks.

There I was, all dolled up and ready to go to a party. But, the person I was looking at in the mirror was completely different than the person I was. Here, was this petite, short, girl who had her long hair all in tresses and waves, instead of her normally straight hair. Here was the woman that had met a man in less than a week and was on the edge of falling head over her solid, ebony heels. Here, was a female, who was about to forget all off of the bad stuff that had happened to her and just shake it off, in crimson cocktail dress, whose eye-catching black belt that was tied at the waist separated the smooth fabric that cupped her breasts from the horde of giant ruffles and wrinkles that ended above her knees. Here, was Rukia Kuchiki, and she was going to have fun.

I noticed then that I had _no _makeup on, and I quickly apply a light layer of foundation before voluminizing my eyelashes, that drew out my russet eyeshadow and the thin layer of eyeliner I put on after that. The slightest touch of cherry blush went to my cheeks and then I finished it off with a single swift of Spring Rose lipstick and coated it with a thin coat of lipgloss and once I was done, I took a good look at myself in the mirror. My eyes weren't staring at my now plump lips or how big my eyes were (in a good way, of course), but rather the strange pendant that had never left the tree of my neck, and the events of today's weird mishaps played in my head like a movie, making me slightly anxious, worried even. If this _thing _was going to float around in a massive crowed, then I shouldn't take it along with me; but, for some strange, inexplicable reason, I couldn't bear to take it off. I liked its presence. It made me feel as if I was some kind of princess, or something along those lines.

Then, the sound of a car honking echoed throughout my empty apartment, bringing me back to Earth as I hear Orihime's voice yell out the window, and I yelled back, assuring her I was coming. Before turning off everything and running out the door, I let out a sigh, and I could feel the cells inside of my body tingle with excitement and buzz. I was actually going to let go, and there was nothing that was going to stop me.

I quickly ran down the stairs and met up with the ginger before dashing into the warm cab, immediately being greeted by a wave of heat as I heard the woman next to me tell the driver where to go.

"So, what kind of party is this, anyway?" I inquire curiously, getting a giggle out of the female.

"It's uhm, kind of like a ball, in a way. But it's not going to be like, _totally _boring, ya know?"

"Uh, I guess," I shrugged.

"But anyways, enough about that," She waved her hand, changing the subject. "Tell me more about your boy."

"Listen, Orihime," I sighed, getting slightly agitated. "It's not there's anything to tell, really. Me and him are _just_ friends_._"

"I don't believe that baloney for a single second!" The ginger objected. "If you were 'just friends', then explain why you snapped at me earlier because I wanted to see your necklace, that exact same one that _he _gave you…and the exact same one you're wearing tonight," She said in almost a growl, which scared me slightly. I was starting to think that there was something _seriously _wrong with this chick.

"Well," I stalled, trying to cool her down. "I guess me and him have _somewhat _of a connection. But it's not like we're dating or anything."

"Rukia, please," She scoffed with a laugh. "If he bought you expensive jewelry, then he _must _be serious, right?"

"Eh, I try not to think about that kinda stuff a lot. But me and him aren't like, really close yet, ya know?"

"But, haven't you two had sex yet?"

My jaw literally drops, and I could barely form a word because my cheeks were blushing ten shades of red and I was so embarrassed and I just didn't know how to react.

"N-No," I stammered.

"_WHAATT?" _She gaped at me with wide eyes. "I thought you two done did it! How long have you known this fella anyway?"

"A month," I fibbed.

"And he's _already _buying you lavish gifts? Boy, I wish I was that lucky!"

I don't know if it was just me being paranoid, but something seemed a bit 'off' about the woman right then. Like, you know how you see old 30-year-olds in costumes and pretend to be all nice and shit and the second they get out of it, they're a completely different person? Well, that may not be a completely correct simile or anecdote to relate to this, but it was kind of like that. I felt a strange air of 'fakeness' waft around, and it was as thick as fog.

"I just don't think me and him should _rush _into it. Like, I know if I think about the idea of me and him too much, it'll jinx it."

"Is that what you _honestly _believe?" Orihime cocked an eyebrow.

"_Yes, _I do," I sparred back, starting to get even more annoyed, mad even.

"But don't you ever think about if he's like, for real, _for_ _real?_ Like-"

"Orihime," I hissed, getting her attention (although I didn't mean to sound as pissed off as I sounded). "I think that's enough. I don't mean to sound like a total bitch, but what me and this guy have is _strictly _between me and him, understand?"

_'Oh, I understand, all right,' _She said, but no words came out of her mouth. I blinked twice and cleaned my ears with a finger as I continued to hear her voice, but I had no idea where it was coming from, and it had ceased to end.

_'I understand that you're a fucking whore that would stoop so low as to-'_

"_Excuse me?_" I blurted out in rage, making the ginger tremble.

"W-What? What is it, Rukia?" She turned to looked at me with wide eyes. How her voice came into my head without her mouth actually moving was a complete mystery to me.

"You…you didn't say anything?" I query with a skeptical look.

"Uh, are you imagining things? I didn't say a single word after you asked me if I understood you, and I just nodded and there was just a silent moment. Are you sure you're up for this party?"

_'What a fucking weirdo. She must be high. Ha, if she is, I can't wait to see how much a fool she makes outta herself.'_

"I'm not high!" I growled, making the woman stare at me with _huge _eyes. I realized then, that I was, in fact, a weirdo, since I somehow knew what she was thinking. "I mean, I'm not like, intoxicated or whatever that I _can't _go to this party. And I only smoke my cigarettes, so I am most definitely _not _under the influence," I chuckled nervously,

"Uh, yeah, sure," She nodded, unsure.

And from then on, there was kind of a weird, tense, atmosphere between us, and the sound of her voice in my head would _not _get out of my head. It was stuck in there like gum to a boot.

Then, like an angel to my rescue, I heard my phone going off in the inside of my clutch, and I quickly get it out, and I was just so relieved that I could avoid the awkward moment (for now, at least), that I answered it immediately without checking to see who it was.

"Hello?" I chimed.

"Rukia? It's Nel. Where are you? I thought you'd be home so we could go shopping."

Fuck. With a capital 'F' for Fail.

"Oh my God, Nel, I am _so _sorry! I completely forgot about it."

"…Oh."

"Shit, I feel like a douchebag now," I groaned as I rubbed my temples. "Hold on a sec, I'll be right there."

"No, no, it's fine-"

"No, it's not. S'cuse me," I said to the cab driver. "Can you drop me off here?"

"Are you sure, miss? It'll take a good thirty blocks to get back to where I picked you two misses up."

"Crap," I groaned, not knowing what to do. But like a bolt of lightning, a bloody _brilliant _idea hit me, and instantly brought a smile to my face.

"Hold on," I said to Nel while turning to Orihime. "Can I ask a _huge _favor of you?"

"Sure," She nodded with a slight smile.

"Can my friend come to the party as well? I feel really bad that I forgot my plans with her and-"

"Don't worry about it," She waved her hand. "She can come."

"Thank you _so _much," I said as I put the phone back up to my ear. "Nel, come meet us at…" I turned to Orihime.

"The Paramount."

"What she said."

Nel was quiet for a second, and didn't reply, which had started to make me a tad nervous. "Hello?"

"Yeah, I'm here," She said, in almost an impassive tone, which was unlike her.

"Hey, Nel? You okay?" I ask.

"Y-Yeah, I just saw something…bloody…on the television. I-I'll meet you there in a few."

"Oh-kay then," I said as I heard the line go dead. I was a bit worried about Nel, and why she acted the way she did. Was it because I forgot to hang out with her? I was such a dumbass. Of course it was! I can't _believe _that I forgot something as important as that! I felt like the biggest turd in the world.

"Something wrong?" Orihime asked.

"Nah, I'm just nervous," I shook it off as I saw our cab pull up to the curb, seeing _huge _crowd of well-dressed people, but they seemed mostly cocky and arrogant. You know, typical rich bitches.

While Oirhime paid for the cab fare, I took a quick look around the entrance, seeing that it was heavily crowded by the 'rats' as they would call them, that wanted to get in, but the gates held them back, along with the occasional officer every 10 feet or so. But I could see why they'd want to sneak in. It seemed extremely extravagant, and I couldn't imagine how much grander it looked on the inside.

"C'mon, let's go!" Orihime yelled as she yanked my hand and pulled me into the building and through the crowd.

"Hold up a sec!" I said as I yanked her off, but once I realized I was inside, my mouth literally dropped at the sight of the _beautiful _décor strewn all over the ballroom.

Miles and miles of crème silk hung from column to column, along with frail, ebony strings that were slung over it. There was an _immense _amount of space that the room had, and even with the dining tables moved to the side, there was still a big enough path for people to walk and dance in the middle. In the very back, there were two sets of stairs that climbed up into this kind of pedestal-looking thing, which I assumed someone 'big' was supposed to give a grand speech that no one really paid attention to. And attached from the edge of the pedestal, was another floor above the ground, though only to the sides, where people had their more 'private and intimate' conversations. Why, there was this one pair that was nearly feeling each other up up there. It was like watching two hogs hump.

"So, whatchu think? Pretty nice, no?" Orihime asked.

"It's pretty, and clean," I smiled with a fake laugh.

"Oh, come on. I know it might be boring at first, but once you meet some people, you'll have fun."

If you mean having a friggin' miserable time while trying to put on a façade in front of arrogant, snotty, horndogs, then yeah, I'll definitely have _fun. _Whoop-de-fucking-doo.

"Oh, come on; wipe that glum look of your face! I have to introduce you to my friends!" She said with excitement as she pulled me through the crowd, getting a horde of glares and stares from the people around us. And as much as I wanted to slap the bitch out of them, I put on a 'sweet and innocent' act and continuously excused myself as Orihime tugged me through the swarm of bodies and let go as she stopped. I turn around to give her a bewildered look, and right as I was about to yell at the top of my lungs, she cuts me off by introducing me, but to whom, I hadn't the slightest clue.

"Well, I thought you weren't coming tonight, Orihime," A deep voice boomed, making me jump in my skin. I nervously turned around and saw two men, but they looked different from the people that I had saw from earlier.

One was rather tall (well, almost _anyone's _tall compared to me) and his face looked very Western-Europeanish. His sleek, chocolate hair was combed back, with the exception of one stray bang hanging loose between his eyes, and the instant he saw me, he took off his solid rectangular frames and put them in the inner coat pocket of his ivory tux, which was the inverse of the usual ensemble; white jacket with a black undershirt instead of the black with white. And next to him…was _him. _

I thought he was the Grim Reaper, come to take my life. There was no doubt in my mind that he was who I thought he was—short, spiky black hair in the front, long strands hanging in the back. Dark indigo eyes, dominant nose, tan skin, high cheekbones—the exact same face that belonged to my-

"Hey!" Orihime elbowed me, bringing me back to Earth.

"W-What?" I stuttered with confusion, but she only jerked her neck in the gentlemen's direction, making my cheeks warm up with embarrassment. I look to them, seeing a rather curious look on both of the men's faces.

"You're…rather interesting," The brunette male bowed his neck as he moved a hand to his chest, and then held it out as he introduced himself. "I am Aizen Sosuke, and who do I have the pleasure of meeting at my ceremony?"

"T-This is your party?" I gawked with disbelief, realizing that 'rich' just didn't cover how wealthy this fella was.

"Yes, miss. And you are?"

"R-Rukia," I giggled nervously as I shook his hand. "Rukia Kuchiki."

"Well, I must be lucky to be meeting a rose in a field full of weeds," He said with a subtle grin, and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh (even his metaphor was a bit…ancient and weird). "And my friend here is James Covens."

"Nice to meet you," The dark-haired man showed off a toothy grin as he bent down to peck the back of my hand, and I had to cover up my mouth with my other hand to stop looking like a freak from smiling too much. All suspicion that I had about this guy had vanished the instant I heard his soothing, gentle, voice, I _knew _he couldn't be _him. _Not be a long shot.

"Likewise," I nodded with a smile.

_God, she's grinning like a friggin' school girl. Get over it, Rukia. You're making a complete fool of herself._

Again with the voice. But I found it odd how it decided to pop up at that specific time, instead of before. I made a mental note to talk to John about my necklace, and the instant I did, I felt guilt crash into me like a tsunami, and make me feel like shit for gawking over another guy. Wait…we weren't 'officially' dating. Plus, he has yet to call me his, so I shouldn't jump to conclusions, right? So, I was free to gawk at who I wanted.

After a couple of minutes of chit-chatting, Orihime excused herself and Aizen as they had some 'business' to discuss, leaving me alone with James, and I had to bite down on my lip from grinning each time I looked at his eyes—they were _so _green! I was almost lost in that sea green forest, before his voice got my head out of the clouds and down to Earth.

"So, why are you here, in such a boring party, Madame?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Please, call me Rukia," I assured him with a pat on his arm. "And honestly, I just met that woman today and she asked me if I wanted to go, but I guess I really didn't have a choice in the matter. I'm not the kind for partying. It just isn't me."

"Oh? But you seem like such an outgoing woman," He remarked with a chuckle. "I'll admit, you're quite the view. I get tired of seeing all of these old, dried up, fake Pamela Andersons walking about, flaunting their wealth that they gained from the man they stole from another woman. It's disgusting."

"And here I thought you were just another millionaire," I coyly mumbled, getting a sharp, but seductive look from his eyes.

"And I thought you were just another woman, but that's not the case, now, is it?"

"You have no idea," I nodded as our glasses (which he got us earlier) clinked together in a toast, making the burgundy liquid inside do a little leap in the air.

"So, what exactly is your profession?" He inquired.

"Uh, I'm a bartender," I plastered on a smile. Hey, I wasn't lying.

"Really? So you must know your alcohol, eh?"

"I suppose," I shrugged. "But what do _you _do?"

"I'm a detective."

"Ooh, how exciting!"

"Eh, more or less. It gets kinda eerie seeing a dead corpse right in front of you, but you get used to it with the number of increasing psychos out there. Especially here, in New York City.

"How you ever caught some of them?" I asked curiously, pouting a little bit to give off that 'allure'.

"A few, but as of late, there has been this absolutely _disgusting _killer running around, and the only trace he leaves behind is a victim with their heart carved out."

"Oh my God," I gaped. "But how do you know it's a he?"

"One, all of the victims were females, and shortly after, we discovered that all of them had been raped before being murdered."

"How long has this been going on?"

"It started recently, about a month or so ago. But the only reason why I'm here is to be on the lookout to see if anything suspicious arises. God knows what would happen if he was here, especially here, of all places."

"But, what if he's armed?"

"Don't worry, I have this place watched with all eyes and ears open and alert. If he strikes here, we'll be sure to catch him."

"I hope you do. God, that's like a nightmare. Kinda makes me anxious, now that I think about it," I mumbled under my breath, and yet, the man still heard me.

"There's no need to be—you're with me, you're safe."

Oh, you bet I was.

But I played it of, still keeping my act up. "Oh, no, I'd hate to be such a burden to a stranger I had just met," I protested (slightly) as I fanned my fingers over my sternum. "I can't let you do that."

"And if I _want _to?"

"Then I'd-"

"RUKIA!" A voice squealed.

I turned around, seeing a curvaceous vixen all dressed in a pure white, and the dress's fabric gripped each and every single curve of her body perfectly. There was a hand-sewn border that held her girls in place, and in the back, her rump was obviously complimented in the gown (and in almost everything she wore), but as eye-catching as it was, it wasn't sleazy, because the elegant, trailing folds of ivory that followed her made her look like a princess, with strands of her hair attached on the loose mane below it. Even though I'm straight, I'll admit that she looked very hot, no lie.

"Nel!" My face broke out into a giant grin as she let out a gasp the instant she saw me, and instructed for me to twirled, and I did, in which she let out a wolf whistle.

"Well, don't you just look sweeter than a lump a' sugar. Oh my God, John would-"

I cleared my throat as I point to James next to me with my eyes, making her let out an 'O', which was followed by a silent 'I need to talk to you' before walking up to introduce herself to the man.

"Well, _well_! Are you Rukia's date?" Nel inquired, making me swallow a gulp of anxiety.

_What is she doing with him? He's _bad _news. I can just sense it. I need to keep her away from him. Whoever he is, he's trouble._

Oh, great. Now I could think what my (actual) friends were thinking and their disapprovals. That's just great.

"Actually, we had just met," He explained. "But let me introduce myself-"

"I know who you are," She cut him off, making the atmosphere feel very, _very _claustrophobic and almost poisonous, with the way she spat out those words. "You're James Covens, right?"

"Yes," He remarked with a questioning look on his face. "How do you know?"

"My friend is a detective as well. He used to work for your unit. I don't mean to be rude, but do you mind if I borrow the missus for a sec?"

"It's up to the 'rose' over there," James flashed a grin at me, making me turn my head to the side as I let out a stupid giggle, immediately being pulled away by the female.

"Thanks," She muttered as we got away from him, going to very edge of the room. The whole time, our eyes had avoided contact, and I didn't quite know what to say, so I started from what I knew.

"Look, Nel, I'm really sorry for bailing on-"

"It's fine, I already forgot about it. That's not what I'm worried about."

"Then…what _are _you worried about?" I asked, though she let out a sigh through her nostrils in anxiety.

_Var i världen är du? Du skulle ha gjorts vid det här laget!_

What in the world did I just hear? Was that..._Nel_...speaking a different tongue? Oh, this night was just getting better and better.

"Rukia," She said as she placed her hands on my shoulders. "I know you're going to think I'm crazy for telling you this, but you need to stay _away _from that man. He's an evil, _evil_ man. I can sense it."

I laughed. "You're ridiculous. That's crazy, I just met him. What could he _possibly _do?"

"You have _no _idea," She growled in such a serious tone, it made my skin get goosebumps. "Humans are capable of committing such heinous, _wicked_, deeds, and they only need to be in such a mood to be bloodthirsty killers."

"You're overreacting!" I yelled as I shook her grip off of me. "I just met him!"

"But you haven't a single clue who he is or what he's capable of!"

"Like I'm any different with John!"

The instant I said that, I immediately covered up my mouth, not believing the words that I had just said. My heart was aching, yet, I felt heartless.

"You're cruel, Rukia," Nel hissed with such intensity, it almost felt as if those words sliced me open like a blade. "You have _no _idea what that man has been through and yet, you're going to put him down like that? After all he's done for you? That's disgusting. It really is. You're gonna choose _him _over John? Like, seriously?"

"I never said that!" I barked.

"But you were thinking about it, weren't you?" She interrogated me with narrowed eyes. "You are insecure. You are _scared, _because of all of the things you don't know, or the things you think he's hiding from you. Did you ever think once that maybe, he _can't _tell you? That maybe he _does _actually want to tell you each and every thing that you want to know? I thought you honestly loved him for a moment, but now, I dunno," The woman shook her head.

"No, Nel, it's not like that-"

"It's whatever. It's _your _love life, not mine. I won't mention a word of this to John, but if he hears it from another source, then it's not my fault," She muttered as she walked away, exchanging glances with James as he raised his eyebrows, before giving me a 'damn' look. Like the 'damn' that you'd get whenever you'd see your parents madder than the Hatter himself.

"What was that all about?" He asked as he craned his head, since my face was looking down at the ground, but I couldn't keep a straight face since those big, deep, ivy eyes were staring up at me with such youth, making me keep a semi-serious face as I tried not to smile.

"Nothing, we just had a little spat," I shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, I kinda have to if you're going to be lookin' like that."

"Looking like _what?_"

"All glum…like…ish. It doesn't suit you well. That cute smile of yours does."

"Oh, shuddup," I muttered as I blushed.

"There it is!" James exclaimed, making me laugh.

But I couldn't help but feel as if something was _watching _me. As if someone's eyes were glued on me and me only, making me feel extremely paranoid, but I tried to shake it off.

"C'mon, let's have this dance," James offered a hand as a new song started up, and who was I to refuse such a gentleman?

"Gladly," I smiled as I took his hand, which held onto it with such gentleness, as if he was afraid of hurting me, which I thought was just plain adorable.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and his arm went around my teeny waist, pulling me close to him. I looked up at him, and our eyes met, and refused to stray away from each other as our bodies synchronized with the slow, simple beat of the piano playing in the far back, and I felt at ease. I mean, who _wouldn't _with such _strong _arms to protect you, right? All of the previous tension I had had blown away like the wind, and it felt like it was only me and him in the room, and no one else. There was something so soothingin this man's presence, that it just made me instantly relax.

"I know I'm going to sound like a creeper, being that I just met you and all," He whispered into my ear, placing one hand on my bare shoulder as we stopped. Well, _I _stopped, and then he stopped once he realized I stopped.

I didn't stop because of the extremely flattering comment that he gave me, or how close our bodies were that the heat between us nearly made me sweat. It wasn't because of that at all. Not by a long shot.

Across from me on the second floor, all dressed up in a lavish, but simple, tux was a tanned male with a head of orange with a glass of red wine in hand. And even though he was a good couple of meters away, I could feel his piercing eyes locked on me, yet, his face was nonchalant. He stared at me for a good moment, and I back at him. But the second I blinked, he had vanished.

I blinked again, and…there was no fiery-maned man glancing at me with such sorrow in his eyes. My mouth let out an empty gasp, drawing James's attention.

"Something wrong?" He queried as he bent down to look me eye-to-eye, but somehow, that 'magic effect' of his that had always made me smile didn't work this time. I felt like a complete whore. How he stared at me…it made me freeze up like a computer glitch. I was paralyzed, because I didn't know if he was mad as hell or just disappointed, but it wasn't something good, I know that much for sure.

"Nah, it's just-"

And right then, a blood curdling scream was heard throughout the entire hotel, making every single body gasp and whisper to each other about what had happened.

"Shit," James hissed, as he looked in the direction of the scream, but then back to me. "Come with me."

"Uhm, okay," I half-heartedly agreed as he took my hand and along the way, asked people where the shriek came from.

_What happened?_

_Did somebody get hurt?_

_Who screamed?_

Hearing all of these thoughts made me nervous, but 'nervous' wouldn't even match up with what I was about to experience.

I was soon directed to the hotel's kitchen, where it was blockaded by the staff. James let go of me as he pulled out his badge. "Detective James Covens, please let me and my guest through."

"Right away, sir," One of the bellhops stepped to the side as he pushed open the kitchen door, though only a little, as the indigo-haired man went in first, while I held on to his wrist, and the sight was so horrifying and gut-wrenching, I thought I might throw up right then and there.

There, in a kitchen corner, laid the dead corpse of a small maid whose short, black hair was up in a small, light blue bonnet with lifeless chocolate eyes. I had to restrain myself from instinctively puking from looking at the hollow, heart-shaped, bloody gap on her chest while the pool of blood beneath her continued to flow.

"Oh God," I turned away from the sight, with the man comforting me by letting me bury my face into his broad chest while strong arms wrapped around me.

"Hey! What are you doing?" An employee barked.

"Let me through! I have to see what happened!" A young male teen with solid white hair yelled as he tried to get through the bellhop.

"Toshiro! Come back!" A woman cried as footsteps got louder and louder and once she was within seeing-distance, I recognized her as the woman 'Essence' from TR. Her long golden hair was slightly messed up, but I'm assuming she must've been running after the boy; though why she was here, I had no clue.

"Toshiro, wait!" She cried out, but it was too late.

The boy broke through the human barrier and found the body of the deceased girl, falling to his knees the second he saw the amount of blood that had poured out of her mouth. He crawled on his knees, trails of tears starting to pour down his face as he made his way towards her. James was about to intervene and pull him up, but I placed a hand on his chest, only shaking my head as I realized that the boy had some close connection to her.

"N-No, Momo, you c-can't be dead," The boy barely managed to spit out, laughing in disbelief. "You c-can't be. You just can't!"

"Toshiro," The blonde muttered as she passed through the guard, kneeling down to comfort him in a hug. "I'm _so _sorry."

"Rangiku," The boy choked. "Why did this happen? Why would anyone ever do this to her? She was so innocent."

'Rangiku', eh? So _that's _your real name.

"I know, baby, I know," She sniffled as she held onto him.

James quietly excused himself as he went over to the two, informing them that they would soon have to exit, being that he would have to inspect the crime scene. I couldn't help but feel a little sad myself, even though I hadn't known the girl. I can't imagine what it must've been like, seeing the one you loved, dead, right in front of you.

"Please," Rangiku said. "At least give us one more minute with her."

"Fine," He nodded. "But let me at least do a rough analysis of the body before that."

The two nodded as they stood at the edge of the doorway, with hordes of peoples' heads cramming in the see what happened, but were backed off by the staff.

James let out a sigh before slamming his fist on the tiled floor.

"Dammit!" He hissed. "That's the 5th one this month!"

I didn't know what to say, since I had no knowledge whatsoever in this field. Well, if you could watching CSI: Miami, but I wasn't going to meddle in now.

"Sorry, sir, I can't let you in," The guard said.

"It's aight, Imma cop."

"Oh, then walk right in."

"Thank ya kindly."

I turned my head in the direction of the opening door, and my mouth slightly dropped at who walked in.

It was the exact same cab driver that I had met not once, but _twice. _

"Hey! It's da bitch midge!" He hollered as he nodded in my direction, and then saw the scene. "Ooh, I'd hate to be the guy that's gonna clean that shit up."

James turned around, glaring slightly at the blonde, and then turned back to dusting and investigating the corpse.

"What are you doing here, Hirako?" He asked in a dark tone.

"My job, ya dumbass. So, is it another one?"

"We don't even work for the same companies, let alone the same unit. I am _not _your partner, so don't treat me like we're buddy-buddy."

"Hey, don't you raise yer tone at me!" Hirako hissed. "We're in the same boat here. There's a crazy, psychopathic murderer around and now's _not _the time to be worrying about whose paycheck is gonna be the biggest!"

"…You're right."

"Aren't I always? After all, I _am _Shinji Hirako," The blonde smirked.

"Shut up and help me look. Oh, now, what's this?" James asked curiously.

"What?"

"There's something shiny in the girl's chest."

"Okay, ew, gross," I said as I exited myself out of the room, but I was still able to hear some of the dialogue that went on inside.

"Is…that a knife?" Shinji inquired curiously. "But why would the killer stick it all the way down there?"

And at that exact same moment, I heard something ticking, like a clock, but I couldn't tell what it was. It sounded so distinct, yet, there were no clocks to be found. Unless…

"Do you hear that?" James asked, and then, there was a dead silence, until Shinji yelled,

"GET OUT! IT'S A BOMB!"

* * *

A/N: Okay, so my comp;s still being gay, so I can't edit (question mark?). Anyways, yay, a murder! I love suspense. And sorry, to those of y'all who like Momo, I was just never really fond of her. Plus, she was _perfect! _Anyways, reviews would be appreciated, (esp at this time, when I'm going through my shit) and I'd like to know on what I can improve on. Also, you can watch me type up SP LIVE at www. livestream . com / wootforsharpies and even make a suggestion or two while talking to me personally(: Don't be shy! And this chapter's offer: if you can guess who killed Momo then insider for you! (first one who gets it right, wins.) Leave your answer in a review, pweeze.


	10. A Masked Sentinel

I don't know where to begin for this one. I didn't know if I was scared, confused, flabbergasted, hell, I'll just choose 'All of the Above'. The horror and the repulsion of what had happened that night made me want to forget to everything that had happened that night and just curl up into a ball.

It was like being in a SAW movie—there were corpses and spilled guts all over the floor and walls due to the explosive that was stashed inside of the dead girl's body, which had now ceased to exist. There wasn't a single trace of it left, since it had all been blown to smithereens, guts, and blood. Lots and _lots _of blood; but, being that I just woke up, I was at the point of consciousness where I thought this was just a twisted, demented, bloody nightmare. Oh, how I wish that were the case. If only it weren't for the 150 pound weight on my stomach, I might be able to breathe. But even then, I would have trouble doing so, since there was a fog of grey hovering over us. And by us, I mean me and James, who was subconsciously draped over my legs and waist, and the fact that his head was near my girl part didn't help my body relax one bit.

With all of my strength (or what little I had left), I shoved the man's body off of me, hearing it slightly groan in pain as it rolled off to the side, making me whisper a light apology to him before I got up, realizing the aftermath of the catastrophe that had just happened.

Along with the splattered body parts all over the place, the explosion had set off a small, but manageable, fire on some of the kitchen appliances, which I figured out, was the source of the thick smoke was coming from. But across from me, there was the body of Shinji Hirako, who was alive, but barely breathing. He had a huge burn on the entire left side of his body, and judging by the looks of it, it seemed that his right arm was broken. I couldn't see his face, since it was turned the other way, but I could tell he was in a whole lot of pain.

But then I turned to James, who was also hurt, but not as much as the blonde. He has a small gash on the cheeks, and the entire front of his body got lightly smoked in the detonation. It was then that it hit me—he had jumped in front of me so that he could protect me, and that's why he was on top of me in the first place (no sexual pun intended).

At that moment, I felt something moist and slimy land on my thigh and I looked down, seeing that it was some glob of chunky blood that had probably fallen from the ceiling. But when I looked up, the spot above me was clear, puzzling me as to where this 'thing' came from. It was then that I felt something, like water, dry on the side of my face, and I put a hand where it was, and felt something really sticky and warm between my fingers. I didn't recognize the substance, and I only knew that it had come from the thing on my leg.

Curiosity got the best of me as I hesitantly picked up the amorphous item off of my leg, my fingertips being immediately greeted by a warm, nice thick coat of slime, but that still didn't help me figure out what this thing was, so I had to scrape all of the blood off with the sides of my fingers, only to realize it was a part of the many pieces of the girl's brain that had exploded.

I instantly let out a scream as I flicked it off of my hand and wiped my hand on the back of James's coat. Then, I had just remembered exactly _where _the piece of brain had fallen from—off of my very own face. Disgusted, I wiped off whatever traces of brain juice were left on my cheek on my arm.

"Is everybody okay in there?" A husky voice hollered from the ballroom.

"No," I shouted. "There are two unconscious bodies on the floor and a piece of brain was on my face!"

"Hold on, I'm sending help right now!"

And literally, within seconds, a rescue team (I guess if you could call them that) composed of five or so hotel staff members barged in through the doors, quickly extinguishing every trace of any surviving fires before tending to the rest of us. Two men went to each man, while the lady only got one. Hmm, sexist much?

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

My ears twitched in the direction of the sound and when I turned, both of my eyes immediately widened at the sight of the man—it was the same one who nearly made me pee in my pants because he had a weapon aimed at me the time I went to TR. I think his name was Dylan, or Dingo, or something like that.

"Omigod, you're the guy from TR who-"

"Ssh!" He whispered, shutting me up with a hand. "You can't talk about that here! You should know that better than anybody!"

"Sahr-mi," I mumbled with his hand still on my mouth as he took it off. "But anyways, I'm fine, thanks for asking. I may be a bloody mess, but nothing a shower can't fix, right?"

"But it'll take more than a quick rinse to clean this place up," The spiky-haired blonde remarked as he helped me off of the ground before taking a look around the kitchen. "Well, damn. God must've been watching over you if nobody got hurt or even killed in such a close-range explosion."

I knew _something _was watching me, but what, I didn't know.

"Yeah," I agreed, watching the men make off with Shinji as they headed out the door, immediately getting swarmed by the sea of people outside the kitchen's door, but their cries of curiosity, grief, and excitement quickly got muted as the door slammed shut.

I heard some distinct mumbling behind me, and I saw that James was (somewhat) conscious now. Without even thinking, my feet walked over to him as I just watched him let out a couple of grunts of pain as he came to, and immediately upon seeing me, he shot a toothy grin towards my direction as he asked the staff to put him down. After stretching out his arms, he casually made his way over to me, acting as if a human bomb didn't just go off right before our eyes. He just stared me down and his olive eyes refused to look away from my face, making me slightly paranoid; but when I turned to look away, his hand slightly, but forcefully, turned my face to look at him as both of his hands cupped my cheeks, making my face feel like a corpulent blowfish.

"You alright?" The indigo-haired man asked as he slightly lowered his head to look me in the eye with a gaze that was still unwavering. Protective, even.

"I'm not a shard of glass, you know. I may be small, but I'm not going down _that _easily," I huffed.

"Ah, so, you're saying that you're not as soft and delicate as you look?"

"I am a 'rose' with plenty of thorns to defend myself with, thank you very much."

"Ha, looks that way. Well, I see you're no pansy, seeing that you're entirely covered in blood. Now, come on," He groaned as he swung an arm over my shoulder while leaning on me slightly. "Let's get the hell out of here."

One of my arms held onto the arm that was lying on my back so that he wouldn't fall, and the other one was wrapped around his side, bringing us closer together, but when I did so, I felt something warm and moist. I looked at my hand and saw that it was blood, and a whole lot of it. I then looked up at the man, who was trying to put on a 'tough' cover, but I was just too in shock to say anything.

And with the very first step we took out of the mini-warzone, people swarmed us, from left to right, front and behind, they were all over the place. But I didn't care about that—the fact that this man's blood was gushing out of him like a waterfall and it made me scared for my life. It soon came to the point where James could no longer walk because he had lost too much blood. Like a miracle, the staff had barged in at the right moment with a stretcher in hand and immediately placed him on it. I couldn't help but gawk at him as he was carried off, but he gave me a wink of assurance as he was escorted out of the hotel and to an ambulance.

I followed them all the way to the vehicle, seeing that the crew on board were already tending to him and Shinji's injuries, and they weren't even there for a full minute before gearing up and loading off. I was relieved that the two were on their way to a speedy recovery, but in all honesty, I was a bit sad too. I was a bit disinherited because I might never see Detective Covens again, but I guess this is kinda what a one-night stand feels like.

"Rukia!" A familiar voice cried, its sound breaking me from my momentary spell of depression.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Nel and Orihime, quickly rushing over to me before each of them gave me a hug of relief.

"Are you okay?" Nell yelled, grabbing me by my arms. "Can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up? Wait, she can't hear anything if she's deaf! Sweet Mary, she's gone deaf. Oh my God, John is going to-"

"Relax, Nel," I giggled. "I'm okay, really."

But then, that last sentence she said replayed in my mind, triggering a reaction in my emotions.

"Wait, Nel, hold up a sec, I have a question," I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"Ask me anything, sugar pie. I'm just glad you're safe," The teal-haired woman exhaled before giving me another hug. I loved Nel. She was like my older sister, watching out for me.

But I paused, hesitant of what to say and how to approach this situation. "By chance, do you know if John just so happened to be here tonight?"

I waited for a moment before re-asking the question, but all I got in reply was something that sounded like a mix of a barf and a choke. I look over to her, and I see that she's on her knees, and gasping in horror as she held her hands up to her face. They were entirely soaked with the thick, crimson liquid and the puddle of tears that had waterfalled from the corner of her eyes. And when she looked up at me, they widened with shock as he entire body shook, but why, I hadn't the slightest idea.

"What's wrong?" I yell, gripping her by the shoulders, but all she could mange to choke out was 'the blood', and it wasn't until then that I took a good look at myself, realizing at how much of said substance was all over me. But I was still puzzled as to why it was important.

"What about the blood, Nel?" I asked as I bent down to look her in the eye, but she only shrieked as she scrambled away from me, as if there was some kind of monster right in front of her.

"Rukia, I think she's scared of the blood," Orihime chimed. I felt bad for a moment that I had completely forgot about the ginger, but I shrugged it off as I focused at the problem at hand. Once I thought about it, it made sense. Nel would never act like this under normal conditions, and _this _certainly wasn't one of them.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I apologized to the woman, feeling so horrible once I saw her crying her heart out in fear like a child afraid of the monster in the closet.

"Ya know, I don't think now is such a good time to ask such a question. I mean, you had James, didn't you?" The ginger asked oh-so-innocently as she comforted the sobbing ivy-haired woman. "Is it because you got tired of him like you did with John?"

Oh? What was this?

I narrowed my eyes at her as my eyebrows knitted together in a scowl. "How do you know John? I didn't tell you about him."

And I could tell I got her, because her jaw dropped in surprise, but before she could at least think of a half-decent excuse, Nel's wails had cut her off, and I couldn't even focus, let alone bitch.

"We'll talk about this _later_," I said in almost a growl as I walked away from the two and down the street, trying to get away from the drama and chaos that was floating around that place. It wasn't until I found a deserted alley where I could escape temporarily and finally be alone.

Leaning against a brick wall, I let out a sigh, trying to let go of some of the stress I had been bottling up, but I just couldn't. It was stuck to me like super-glue, as if it had molded onto my very being. I was just tired of dealing with all of this nonsense and I just wanted to go home. I wanted to just rant and pour out my feeling to my now ex-bestfriend, who now hated my guts. I wanted to go back to the beginning, back when things were _normal._

"_Now, I have something to ask you."_

I remember his face as plain as day. His spiky fiery hair, the slight frown on his lips, and even how he folded up his hands together in a fist as he rested his elbows on the corners of the table.

_ "Hm?" _

_ "You can choose—between having this 'normal' life or continue your business with Boss and them. You're not in deep enough that you can't get out, but this is once-in-a-lifetime chance to stop yourself from getting into something you may not be able to handle."_

"_Are you high or just plain stupid? Of course I'll stick with you and everybody else."_

Was all of this happening because of that simple question? Something I may not be able to handle? What, like now? Either way, I wanted to forget all of this ever happened, with the mind-reading, and the drama, and the blood, and _everything._

And at that moment, I just felt like crying my eyes out because I was tired of all of this—I really _couldn't _handle it anymore. I was all alone, in a deserted alley, with blood and smeared makeup, and slight traces of entrails from the corpse that had exploded earlier. Some party this was.

I slumped down the wall and broke down as tears ran down my cheeks, burning the very skin it was running on. My entire body felt like mush and I wanted to curl up into a tiny ball like an armadillo and just fast-forward the shitty part of this movie.

"Why are you crying, miss?"

"Because," I sniffed. "This night is officially the _worst _night of my entire life, that's why!" I shouted, thinking that it was just my mind playing tricks on me, since I _must _have been delusion and fucked up at the time.

Boy, I _wish _I was just delusional.

"Is it because of my explosion? If it is, I sure am sorry, I didn't mean to make anybody cry. I didn't have a choice, really."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked as I wiped the black glob of black from my mascara off of my eyelashes. "The only person that exploded tonight was…"

And I stopped right there, in the middle of my sentence, both mouth an eyes agape in shock. If I screamed, people would hear and investigate, seeing that it was only a crazy lady yelling at nothing. But the thing in front of me was too _real _to be nothing.

In front of my very own eyes was the floating, transparent, body of the deceased girl who was now looking back at me with her huge brown eyes. She looked exactly like the girl who had died, with the exception of floating and transparency; but instead of flipping out, I inhaled and exhaled, and then rubbed my eyes slowly as I tried to calm down.

"Relax, Rukia, you've just had a bit too much to drink and your stress is just getting to you," I chanted to myself. "She is only an illusion."

"Well, that's kinda mean! Gosh, I apologize that I got murdered and was made into a human bomb whose piece _accidentally _landed on you! If I were alive, I'd pay for the dry cleaning of your dress, believe me, I would!"

Okay, this wasn't getting me anywhere. Hearing a ghost offer to pay for laundry services _must _mean I'm crazy.

"I have _got _to get out of here," I mumbled to myself as I stood up and started to walk away, but the voices of the girl continued to haunt me.

"Wait!"

Nope, just keep on walking.

"Won't you at least hear me out?"

Don't do it. Just ignore it and it'll go away.

"Please!"

I stopped in my tracks, completely freezing for a moment. I could hear the girl's heavy breathing (didn't know ghosts could breathe), with the slightest hint of a voice cracking at the very end. I turned my head to my right, with my shoulder just covering up my mouth as I had my eyes averted to the ground.

"And why should I listen to a ghost? For all I know, you could just be a figment of my imagination or something," I scoffed.

"I'm begging you ma'am, you're the only hope I have left. I don't have much time to live before my soul gets eaten by the darkness and you're the only one who can help me."

"Oh, and why is that? Huh? What makes you think that I even _want _to help you out in the _first _place? Didn't you think for a second that maybe I have problems of _my _own that I have to deal with?"

"…I thought you would help because you're a kind hearted person who hates seeing people in pain and despair. At least, that's what your heart told me, but boy, was I wrong," She muttered as I heard her footsteps in the air (that's a contradictory all on its own) fade away. I felt horrible for being so cruel and rude.

"Wait!" I shouted.

The footsteps stopped momentarily, and then got quicker and lights as the girl turned to face me.

"I'm sorry for being so mean and spiteful, I didn't mean it. Momo…that's your name, right?"

"Yes, that's sure as eggs is my name. And I accept your apology, Ms. Rukia."

"Wait a minute, how do you know my name?"

"A nice man told me about you before my 'unfortunate incident'."

"Can you tell me who he was?"

"He didn't tell me his name, but I could sense there was something going on between you two, judging from how he talked about you. In a good way, of course. Oh! I do remember one thing!" She jumped with glee.

"What, what?"

"He was tall."

Like that helps any.

"Ooh, and he was kinda cute too! He had blonde hair! No, wait, maybe it was orange. Nah, I think it was brown. Actually, I don't remember. But it was long. Or wait, maybe it was short. I can't remember anything nowadays. My human memories are vanishing like _that_," She snapped, but her simile wasn't going to help me any, so I gave up on that charade.

"Okay, so Momo, can you tell me _exactly _how you died?" I asked, trying not to sound as impatient as I was.

"I dunno," She shrugged.

"What do you mean 'I dunno'? Didn't you at least get a look at your killer?"

"Nope, because I had lost consciousness at the time. They must've given me some _bad _stuff."

"And now your body is split into a billion and one pieces so now we can't run tests or even tell which part is what. The killer must've really thought this out," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"But even if it didn't explode," The girl said solemnly. "It would be too late. I don't have a lot of time left, so the tests would be pointless."

"Do you have any idea on who the person could be?" I queried, running out of solutions. I was stuck between a rock and a wall. Here I was, talking to a ghost and trying to pick up the missing puzzle pieces to her death, but it was as if all traces of them had just disappeared. Any possible lead I figured lead me to a dead end, and as the girl went on, the case just got weirder and weirder. It was as if Death himself had done did the deed and it was like trying to grab sand. It slipped right through your fingers.

"Hm…nope."

"Well, call me retarded," I sighed, crouching on my heels, "But I honestly can't crack this case."

"Oh, I didn't ask for you to help find my murderer."

"Eh?"

"I know I can't entrust such a burden to a complete stranger. And, no offense, but you make a _horrible _detective. Besides," The ghost said as she floated over to the edge of the nearest trashcan and plopped down on it, crossing her leg over her knee. "That's not the task I had in mind for you to do anyway."

"Oh? And just what is this 'task'?" I raise an eyebrow.

"If you complete my wish, then I can move on to the next realm and that way, I'll be that much closer to 'rest in peace', or so they say," She shrugged, and as I took a closer look at her, I realized she was gradually starting to fade away, particle by particle.

"Wait, 'they' who? And how do you know that? You died less than half an hour ago and you already sound like an old geezer preaching to me about 'taking the first step'. Just tell me what I need to do."

"I…bah," Momo let out an exasperated sigh. "I can't…quite explain it. It's like…it's like I can sense some part of me out _there_, just waiting for me to find it. Like when a metal detector is on the search for that artifact that buried deep, within the Earth's crust. I guess it's kinda like instinct. I mean, you ever have the feeling that maybe things aren't like the movies? Just take a look at me," She motioned over her transparent body. "I'm a wandering soul that is talking to an actual human, and God knows how this is possible. I didn't even believe in ghosts myself. But when I tried to reach for something, my fingers went right through them. And how you can even see and associate with a being like me is beyond me."

In all honesty, I was more curious than the cat that got killed because of its own. I _wanted _to know about all of these weird and surreal things that were now swirling around me, before I was a meal entirely wrapped up in the web of truth that made my head spin. Even if it didn't make sense, I wanted to know. I had a feeling or _instinct _inside of me completely raging within me, yelling in complete and utter agreement with the deceased girl once she explained about her senses. But like she said, she was on borrowed time, and she couldn't afford to waste a single second of it.

"But anyways," Momo chimed in, "All I ask is that you deliver this here letter to a dear friend of mine," She mumbled as she got out a wrinkled piece of paper that was folded in half out of her back pocket and into my hands.

"I thought you said things fell right through your hands," I blinked twice, confused.

"I thought so too. But here's my theory: I think that with ghosts or souls or _whatever _the heck I am, I can't touch normal things. But," She held up her index finger. "I think that special things, like that note there, I can actually hold it as if I'm human again. I think that if something, or maybe even _someone _has some sentimental value or some kind of 'bond' with a thing like me, that it kinda gives me the human sense of touch, if only for a few moments. I know it's kinda weird and confusing, I don't even know how all the mechanics work myself. I'm a newbie."

"I see," I nod, then changing the subject. "So, who do you want me to give this to anyway?"

"Well you see, there's this guy," Momo giggled as she tapped her fingers together, and I don't even know for sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me or what, but I could've sworn I saw actual color pop to life on her face the second she said his name. A spring kind of red spread over the top of her cheeks, the kind you see when you see fresh cherry blossoms.

It was some kind of…I don't know. I was at a loss for words, seeing a ghost be brought back to life at the thought of a single person. Kind makes you think about how emotions can impact somebody.

"And…I didn't have the chance to say what needed to be said before I left. In that letter, is all that remains of what's left of my human memories. I quickly wrote them down before they disappeared like the rest of them. And like me, they can only last so long before fading into thin air," She lowered her head, averting her line of sight to the ground. "So you need to hurry, before it's gone. I put in all of the essence that I had left for it to last you enough time for you to give it to him."

"But who is he?" I asked, seeing that it was only a mere matter of minutes before she would vanish right before my eyes.

"His name is Toshiro. Toshiro Hitsugaya."

My mind instantly flashed back to the moment where I saw Rangiku and the boy, remembering how upset he was once he saw what had happened in the kitchen. I remembered

But look, I really have to go, so just please, promise me you'll give him the note."

"But why me, of all people?"

"Because," She laughed before fading away into nothingness, "There's a reason why I chose you to fulfill my last wish."

But just what exactly was that reason? And why tonight of all nights? Well, I knew one thing—I wasn't going to get anything done just by standing in a filthy alleyway, so I had to get a move on.

If I made an entrance through the front door, I'd draw attention to myself, looking the way I did, and that was the _last _thing I needed. I could try the back door, but I was pretty sure that was reserved for employees. The only _other _way I could think of was…the roof. Great.

So, after climbing a ladder that made me wonder if I saw Jack and the Giant at the top, I finally got to it and saw everything and _anything _from the view I was at. I was at the edge of the rooftop and I saw the bustling and the rush of the street beneath me, with the yells and honks of the cars and people below. Feeling that I was a bit _too _close to falling over, I took a couple steps back and saw a ceiling window not far from where I was at and quickly made my way over to it. I noticed that the cover was wide open, which gave me an idea for the letter. But I would have to find the boy first.

I leaned a bit over the window and literally, had an eagle's eye of the entire ballroom. Although there were some things I didn't want to see (and I won't go into detail as to what those were), but it didn't take me long to find the rather short, but lean ivory-haired teen that was still clearly upset. He had his hand over his face as Rangiku was trying to make an attempt to soothe him with words, but it looked like it had no effect. In a sense, they really can't. No matter what anybody says to you, words can't bring a person back. Sure, they can try to help someone try to get over something as devastating as that, but I learned that time really does heal all wounds, especially with something as deep as that.

But I shook it off and focused at the problem at hand: I had to deliver a letter to a person that was some 500 feet below me. This was a toughie. I had _no _idea how the note in my hands was going to reach _all _the way down there. I was _stuck_.

"My, my, what are _you _doing all the way up here, Rukia?"

I jumped in my skin and let out a shrill shriek, being scared half to death at the sudden voice. After catching my breath for a sec, I turned around, seeing the trail of azure float in the wind as a mess of orange danced along with it on its side. And the face that it belonged to possessed a sinister look to it, and I got a _really _bad vibe right then. No matter how much I just wanted to amscram outta there, my feet were literally _stuck _to the ground. But it wasn't _me _that was scared, but my body instead.

"You a-creepin' and peepin'? I would've _never _pictured you as the 'stalker' type, my dear," Orihime said sarcastically as she cackled.

"Oh, so I guess the gloves are coming off now?" I titled my head to the side. "Does that mean I can rip out your googly eyes out now? Because they are giving me the heebie-jeebies," I shivered.

"Not if I can't claw you first," She grinned, making the situation even worse.

"Look, I don't know how the hell you think you are, but it'll take more than a psychotic, bipolar bitch to scare me."

"Awh, that's mean. You should be cautious of others' feelings."

"What feelings? You're a cold-hearted bitch!"

"Ow," She pouted as she pointed to her sternum. "That really hurt. It hurt right there."

"Yeah, well," I scoffed. "It isn't going to hurt as much as when my hand slaps the crazy out of you."

"You're horrible at verbal threats, dear," She shook her head.

"Don't change the subject!"

"Hmm, I think I just will. Say, how are you and 'John', hmm? I can imagine you two are _just _two peas in a pod, eh? Oh, wait, _surely _you two must've broken up, seeing as how you were nearly all _over _James this evening. Or, maybe I had too much to drink? Shall we ask some of the people 'round? What about your 'best friend', Nel? I'm sure she's more than welcome to voice her opinion on this."

"Don't bring up their names into the conversation!"

"Why, I'm entitled to freedom of speech, aren't I? So, who are you to tell me what I can and can't say?"

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki, and," I said, taking off my heels and earrings. "I'm going to kick your ass."

"You are a funny one," Orihime nodded as she revealed the hidden knife behind her back, making me think 'Oh, Fuck' in my head. With a blade in hand and a crazed look in the eye, she was starting to convince me that she really _was _psychotic.

"Who exactly do you think you are? You think you can just pop in out of the blue and pretend to be _so _innocent to everybody you meet and act like a total sweetheart and try to get every dick you lay your eyes on? You're a _really _good actress, pulling that shit off."

"Oh, no, honey," I fanned my handover my chest. "You must be mistaking me for _you._ I'm not fake."

And her mind went something like: imgonnakillher, imgonnakillher, imgonnakillher. How's that for positive?

"But let me ask you something," I swallowed my anxiety as I cocked a hip. "What on God's green Earth did I _ever _do to you?"

"Are you really going to ask me something as _stupid _as that?" The ginger cackled, nearly falling over her own heels in her mirth, but gradually gained her cool in a few moments. "You fucked up my life ever since the day you stepped into this world. You took everything I had away from me!"

"I JUST MET YOU TODAY, YOU CRAZY BAT!" I yelled, losing patience.

"That didn't stop you from stealing my man!"

"What man? I'm not dating _anybody!_"

"Bullshit," She hissed. "I saw, I was there, when you batted your disgusting eyelashes at him. You can't deny what I saw with my own two eyes! Do you think I'm making this shit up?"

You had no idea how badly I wanted to answer that question.

"You…you think I'm crazy, don't you?"

Okay, I see how it was going. She was teasing me now.

"You think I'm fucking psychotic, right?"

"How can I not when a woman I just met is threatening me with a butcher knife?"

"Oh, this thing?" Orihime asked curiously as she twirled it with her finger by the hole that was in the steel. "I completely forgot about my dear old friend. She has met many 'acquaintances' of mine, but it's a shame we couldn't be friends anymore," The woman grinned as she bared a toothy grin, slowly walking towards me with her heels clicking with each step she took.

"And whatever happened to your friends?" I ask, slyly backing up a step with each she progressed with and I thought I was real smooth…until I bumped into the wall, having no place to run and a bloodthirsty maniac was coming at me, ready to butcher me up into a million, tiny, little pieces.

"My friends? Oh, you can meet them…on your way to hell!" She shrieked as she swung down the knife with all her might, nicking a piece of flesh from the corner of my shoulder. Blood gushed out of my limb like a tiny crimson waterfall, but I knew I couldn't just give up. Oh, no, she was going to _pay_.

"You bitch!" I snarled as I kicked her in the gut, getting a fair amount of distance between us. The dagger fell out of her hands and slid across from us. I took a second to catch my breath, but it hurt to breathe; but I had to suck it up if I was going to live. Nobody said that you wouldn't be unscathed while playing the game of life. Guess I should've read the instructions.

And then, like wolves exchanging glares and bared teeth after both seeing a valuable piece of meat, we both saw the knife that was out in the open, we ran (more like crawled and scrambled) for the blade. In a short moment, I gave thanks that I was rather petite, giving me that advantage of swiftness when it only takes a second to change the outcome between life and death. And I was sure, as sure as I knew my own name, that I was _not _going to die today. I just couldn't. Especially on a rooftop of all places.

Without a moment of hesitation, I sprawled over to the blade, hearing a low grunting from behind me. I looked over my shoulder, and saw that the ginger had her heel stuck in one of the cracks of the rooftop's tiles. Haha, that's what you get for trying to kill me.

However, I too, was in a rut. Well, more like the hem of my dress got caught by the sharp edge of a metal chimney pipe, causing me to jerk back. Seeing that I was 'stuck', I did what any sensible being that wanted to survive would do—I ripped the dress so that I could move, but it was still attached to the thing, so the _entire _bottom part of my dress just _whoosh, _tore off like that, and now, the bottom of my dress was elevated barely beneath my butt cheeks. How's that for taking a few pounds off? One thing was for sure, I could definitely move a lot easier now, but at the cost of my decency. But screw it, I was trying to live.

And there I was, a ragdoll with barely any clothes running for the key to survival. I was too focused on trying to survive that I didn't see the woman come at me from the side and tackle me from the side; and that's when all hell broke loose.

I didn't think twice about leaving this witch with a scar or two to remember me by. I kicked, clawed, punched, bit, you name it; and you bet your money she did the same, though it wasn't as effective, because her massive balloons were her way. We were a rolling bundle of blue and red, with slight tufts of orange flying about. Lots of orange, but no black.

I distinctly remember her cutting the edge of my throat with a sharp nail, and I did the same, albeit to her face, and it was a much deeper wound that made her flinch back.

She yelled in agony for a moment before getting up to strike, but I countered it with a punch to her jaw, and I must say, I was rather pleased when I delivered that blow. It helped relieve some of my built-up 'stress', ya know? But that didn't stop the dungeon dragon from rearing its ugly head and spew fire. But I had no holy sword to plunge through its throat, just a butcher knife. Wait, that was it!

I shoved the pig off of me as I crawled for the blade, but I felt small daggers pierce through the meat of my ankle, and I instinctively let out a shrill cry of pain. I lifted up my heels, hearing the woman grunt and let out a cough, and then I felt something warm and liquidy on my back. I cringed at the thought of her own saliva landing on my skin, but I shrugged it off as I kept trying to kick her off of me, and it wasn't until my heel kissed her chin that she finally let go, and there was such an excruciating paint that followed, I think it was worse than the actual stabbing itself.

Little did I know that pigs could move so quickly and before I knew it, she got to the knife, and held it up like it was a gift from God. Then, she pointed its edge towards me as she leisurely made her way over to me, like a predator ready to pounce and make the kill on an unsuspecting prey. I managed to keep a good amount of distance between us. Until I fell, that is.

Once I looked up, I saw a female version of Freddy Krueger staring me down like their next victim. I tried to get up as fast as I could and back away, but she latched her claws into both of my wrists before I could even stand up. A tiny stream of crimson escaped from the four bloody pores in my wrist, now having matching wounds on each side.

I bit the skin of her hand with my canines and managed to rip some of the tissue off, causing her to back off and giving me some time to get up. I immediately spitted the devil skin out of my mouth before wiping it with my arm. But she wasn't down for the count. Oh no, she came back like Rocky and with her big, bad knife, she managed to back me up against to edge of the ceiling window, and I could tell she was ready to botch me up into I was just a bloody mush.

"Well, it seems like this is where you get off, love," She laughed maniacally as she trailed her finger over the edge of the blade, letting out a gasp (though I couldn't tell if it was of pleasure or agony, or both) as a thick, ebony liquid escaped from the cut. I wasn't really sure if it was really black or just the dimness of the night, but it looked _pretty _black to me.

While she relished in…whatever it was she was doing, I felt the freezing draft that was coming from the ballroom beneath my head. I looked over just a wee bit over my shoulder and realized that I was only a mere matter of feet away from falling to my doom. My head rested against the edge of the open window while my body was on the ground of the rooftop, and before I even realized it, the woman had grabbed my throat and held me up, nearly choking me as she did so.

"It's kind of sad, really. I actually did like you."

"Then why are you doing this, Orihime?" I yelled, choosing my last words carefully as I tried to pry her man hands off of my neck. "Whatever happened to the nice girl I once knew?"

She let out a short gasp as her eyes widened and gaped at me. I didn't know what was going on, but I could tell that I had unlocked something that was stashed away somewhere in her heart long ago. But the sentimental-ness could only last so long.

Orihime let out a cackle before looking again at me. "Oh, you remind me so much of him. His charisma and very essence must've rubbed off of you. But anyways," The ginger regained herself, losing all signs of 'happiness' that she had. "You wanna know what happened to that girl? Well…she died a long time ago."

And that sentence was enough to confuse me, so I didn't realize into I saw the woman and the sky getting smaller and smaller that I had been pushed through the ceiling window. The whole thing had happened so fast that I forgot about being mad at Orihime, and instead, was worried that I was going to be a splattered mess of blood and guts all over the ballroom floor. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes and it was then until I realized—I had done absolutely _nothing _with my life. I had nothing to be proud of, much less to remember it. I truly pitied myself. I was living off of my own brother's money, and now I was less than 100 feet to my death. I figured that my life…really didn't mean anything. It wasn't worth living.

So, how come I was still able to think?

I knew I wasn't dead, because I wasn't in heaven nor hell, because it was bright. Too bright, actually; and it was surprisingly comfortable, wherever I was. If this what had been waiting for me after death, then I think I might just enjoy it.

"I think she's coming to," A slight husky voice rumbled. Either he man was speaking through a microphone, or he was_ really _close, because I could hear the booms of his voice near me. It felt as if a speaker was right up next to my ear, sending the vibrations directly to my eardrum.

"Is she alive?" A worried, high-pitched female asked, whose very voice made me cringe.

"Shut up, already," I groaned as I rolled over, but for some reason, I couldn't.

My eyebrows knit together in agitation and it wasn't until I cracked open my eye just a teeny bit that I realized I wasn't dreaming. No, I was far from it. I was still alive, and…in somebody's arms?

The first thing I saw was black, and lots of it. Then, I realized it was actually an elbow that I was staring at, and some weird gold buttons.

"These stupid buttons aren't working," I grumbled as I pushed them, trying to make the elevator (that's what I thought it was, shut up) work.  
"Because I'm not a machine, mind you."

The second I heard that, my mouth formed a quick and perfect 'O' as I slowly craned up my neck, grasping then that it was an actual man that was holding me. And this wasn't _just _any other man. Oh, no. This man was the doctor who was treating my brother. This…was Dr. Damir Milović. As if I wasn't embarrassed enough, those icy blue eyes just had to stare me down like I was some kind of freak. But his face stayed relaxed, and was even a contradiction to his look, so I couldn't tell which one was true. I felt my cheeks flush ten shades of red, but somewhere in that intense scowl of his, was the slightest hint of concern.

I was so embarrassed and nervous, so I just listened instead.

"Are you okay?" The doctor asked in a forced tone.

I simply nod.

"Do you know who you are?" He questioned, though this time, his once harsh expression had softened as he looked at me intently. "And how did you get so many wounds?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm Rukia Kuchiki. But do you mind explaining to me what the hell just hap-"

"You fell," The man cut me off.

"I _what?_" My eyes widen. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, I didn't fall. I was _pushed_, out of a ceiling window by a psychotic-"

"Ahem," The doctor cleared his throat.

"…What? It isn't well-mannered to just interrupt somebody in the middle of their-"

I immediately shut up as he craned his head to my ear, his warm breath making the skin of my earlobe tingle and the tiny hairs on my arms stand up.

"You have a wad of orange in between your breasts. I advise you to take it out to avoid any unwanted attention and odd looks," He whispered.

"Huh?" I mumble to myself as I looked down, seeing that there _was, _in fact a 'wad of orange' between my boobs. I pulled it out, and shook it off as it fell, but I felt something pointy and thin when I took out the hair too. I was cautious, because women aren't _supposed _to have things in their bras that they don't know about, but once I pulled it out, I see that it was the note that Momo had given me earlier. My entire focus was refreshed and I had remembered what I was supposed to be doing.

"If you could just let me go," I said, but my timid-ness took over, making my voice sound weak and soft.

"You need to go to the hospital, Ms. Kuchiki. You're losing a lot of blood," He disagreed, and was rather stern about it too. But that didn't stop me from trying.

"You don't understand, I have to deliver something to a very important someone and-"

"I'm sure your boyfriend can wait," Dr. Milović growled slightly.

"I won't hesitate to make a scene if you do not let me go this instant and I will draw attention to us like wildfire. So, unless you don't want people lookin' at ya funny-"

"Here we go," He grunted as he literally, swept me off my feet and put me over his shoulder, and I was kicking and screaming.

"LET ME GO! I _demand _to be put down!"

"You should really stop moving your legs so much, because your thong is showing."

"Eeep," I piped as I shut them together and froze them, now extremely paranoid and cautious.

"I probably shouldn't have put you on my shoulder, seeing that you have a wound on your back."

"What wound?"

"The one right above your butt?"

"Hm?" I turned around as I hand-searched all over my back for a cut, but I couldn't find one. I then felt something warm and moist, and pull my hand back, seeing that its blood."

"Oh, _that,_" I waved a hand as I wiped the other on the back of the man's shoulders. "That's not my blood."

"Then whose is it?"

"This crazy bitch that tried to kill me tonight. Her name's Orihime. But I left her with a boo-boo or two as a reminder not to mess with me. She's the most craziest person I have ever met. _Ever._"

The doctor was then quiet, not saying a word after my mini rant. I turn my head to the side to look at him, and he turned his head, looking at me with slight curiosity.

"What?" He asked.

"Did I say something? You just shut up right after I said that."

"Do you hear what you're saying?"

"Yes, and I find no problem with it because it _actually _happened and no, I'm not crazy or drunk, thank you very much. I was 100…90% sober when this 'incident' occurred," I pointed to his chest, but when my finger bone bounced back in my hand, I let out a hiss, feeling my veins start to swell as even more blood drops from the pores in my skin, and a drop accidentally lands on the Doc's shirt.

It didn't take for him long to notice the stain, and once he saw the source, he halted immediately. By now, we were already out of the hotel and he had set me down on the metal edge of the ambulance's back, and took a closer look at the stabs in my wrist, which he analyzed with the utmost precision.

"What happened here?" The raven-haired man asked, keeping his eyes glued to the skin.

"I told you. It's because of that maniac. She stabbed me in the wrists with her own fingernails. And she nicked me on the shoulder too. It's pretty deep."

"Let me take a look at it," He motioned as moved away my long hair that was covering it up, and his jaw dropped just the slightest bit as he unveiled the wound.

"_She _did this to you?"

"With a butcher knife," I added.

"Alright, you need to have your wounds dressed up, otherwise, you're going to faint from all of the blood loss," He mumbled as he took off his ebony coat and tossed it right in my face.

"Hey!" I groan.

"You seemed cold," The doctor shrugged as he started to undo the gold buttons of his azure vest before rolling up the sleeves of his long-sleeved ivory collared shirt with a dark green Ralph Lauren logo at his left breast. "Now, give me your wrists," He said as he pushed out all of the excess blood, but surprisingly, he was gentle. Quickly and efficiently did he tend to all of my wounds, and he let me wear his coat, which was so toasty, as we waited for the ambulance staff to get back. We didn't talk much, since there was that air of slight awkwardness, but at the same time, I didn't want to say _too _much. He _was _my brother's doctor, after all.

"You seemed to have calmed down," He muttered subtly, but it could still be heard.

"Yeah, I guess I've had enough for one night," I yawned as I rubbed my face, trying to keep myself awake. "Now, if you will excuse me," I mumbled as I hopped off of the edge.

"Leaving so early? I don't imagine I'm _that _horrible of a person to socialize with."

"Oh, Doctor, it's not-"

"It's Damir," He nodded with a subtle grin.

"Okay, well, I _really _have to give this letter to someone. But I'll be right back so just hang tight, 'kay?" I gave him a thumbs-up with a forced smile as I speed-walked inside of the hotel, seeing that it was more deserted now. I made my way through the sea of people in search of this 'Toshiro', but all I heard was:

_There she is, the girl that fell out of the window!_

_Look at her dress. She probably stole it out of the dumpster._

_Where is Mother Teresa's name are her shoes?_

I then saw Rangiku still leaning against the wall, but no boy. As I made my way over to her, she gave me a puzzled look.

"I'm sorry, but you look _so _familiar," The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Have we-"

"Met? Yes, we have, at TR," I nodded. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm here to deliver this letter to a guy named Toshiro. I saw you hanging earlier with him, so if you could please pass that along as soon as possible, that'd be just great. Kaythanksbye" I turned around as I tried to walk/jog my way out of there.

"Wait!" Rangiku cried out.

"Sorry, I gotta go!" I yelled over my shoulder as I literally started _sprinting _my way to the ambulance. I knew that if I talked to her, something would slip out, and then there would be an awkward 'atmosphere' between us. Hell, I upgraded that to 'paranoid' because of how I just acted, but I couldn't risk it.

So, everything was done and going fine when I met up with Damir, and I sat with him for a few moments, and to my surprise, he had started to lessen on his hostile side and it was all going good. However, the wound on my back had started to loosen, and the doctor wasted no time in dressing it up again.

But, when this peculiar old man popped out of the blue and started eyeing us, I started to get paranoid. Although the man next to me was only a few centimeters away from me, I would have to agree that it did give off the wrong impression, but once you looked at Damir's face, you could tell he wasn't phased by that kind of stuff. It wasn't until the old man told him to halt that he cringed and slowly turned his head while putting my boo-boo on hold.

Judging by his looks, he had also attended the party, and might've been someone quite wealthy and notorious, seeing as how his silver tux was extremely lavish, but the light teal scarf he had wrapped around his neck kept it simple and clean. His long grey hair, mustache, and aged face really gave off the impression that he was erudite, but he looked like he was still good for another two decades or so. But when I turned to the doctor, he had a questionable scowl on his face, icy irises narrowing at the old man.

"And who do you think you are, trying to stop me from treating my patient?"

"That patient…is my granddaughter. And I'm telling you to release her. I _refuse _to let her go to a place as filthy and as 'impure' as that. Have you ever stopped to think that people actually die in there?"

"Excuse me if I seem rude, but," I cleared my throat. "I have never met my grandfather, therefore, I haven't the slightest clue what he looks like, therefore, I don't think you're related to me unless you prove to me otherwise. If you don't mind, I'll quiz you and see if you _are _who you say you are. First question: what's my middle name?"

"You don't have one."

"Correct. Numero dos: What's your son's name?"

"Are you joking? How can I not know Sojun, my own son? Are you really that distrusting of people?"

"Yes."

"…Hisana would be disappointed."

"Don't you _ever_ bring her name up again," I growled. "Grandfather or not, _nobody _can tread on that soil!" I hissed, and the doctor had to hold me back so I wouldn't scratch out his eyes.

"I see you usually aren't as calm and collected as you seem. What a pity," He sighed. "Anyways, I do believe _you're _the one who's treating my grandson, Byakuya Kuchiki, right doctor?"

I look up at the man, who was still holding me, but his glare was as unwavering as a statue.

"I don't give away that kind of information, sir. And besides, if those two are your kin, then how come Mr. Kuchiki hasn't had any visits from his family, excluding his sister?"

"Because I was just notified of his little 'incident' today; and I had some business to do in this part of the city anyway, so I was going to pay him a visit."

"Or you were just too lazy to make your way over here," I grumble."

"Ginrei Kuchiki," He extends a hand, but I just scoff, making him retract it. "I apologize for not having a chance to meet you when you were younger-"

"Nobody knew me until a year ago. Don't even start."

In the corner of my eye, I saw the doctor's expression gradually diminish, but there was still a trace of fierceness in his eyes.

"So, doctor," The old man turned to face him. "Is it okay for me to take my kin home?"

"…Only on one condition."

"And that would be?"

"Since I'm treating Byakuya, I might as well treat his kin too."

"And the charge?"

"No charge, since you _refuse _to let her go to a hospital, a doctor is in need to her situation. I don't think you understand just how much blood she's lost, sir."

"And just how are you going to treat her then, hmm?"

"I can make in-home appointments and treat her there."

"…I suppose I have no other option then."

"I won't be put on drugs or anything, right? I don't want to be loopy and say something stupid or anything," I ask as I looked up at the man, and then, something amazing happened. For once, he was laughing and smiling. I couldn't believe it. Although it may not have been such a big deal to the others, it piqued me greatly.

"Nah," He settled down from his mirth. "Just some painkillers is all. But I will need to dress your wounds on a regular basis, just letting you know."

"That's fine. But you shouldn't worry so much, ya know? You're gonna wear yourself out, Doc."

"Now, come on, let's get going," The old man urged us, but I was still uncomfortable with the elderly male. There was no way in hell I was related to that old bastard. I just didn't believe it.

"I refuse," I crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't believe you're my grandfather and I refuse to go home with you, you old creeper."

"Rukia! Where are your manners? Such behavior is unacceptable!"

"I'm 21 years old! I'm an friggin' _adult!_"

"Then start acting like one!" The old man hissed, leaving me speechless.

"What would you say…if I didn't know how?" I countered, making both men turn their heads in a mix of curiosity and confusion.

"Excuse me?" Ginrei huffed.

"From the time when I was little, to the time when I left the streets, I had to fend for myself. The only thing I learned how to do is steal, eat, and run. That's how I survived 18 years in the street. I didn't have time for 'manners'. All that mattered was how I was to last the next day. I know you and your aristocratic society full of blowhards and kissups might act proper, but in the end, they're all just like school in July."

"Why are they like school in July?"

"No class," I hissed, almost snarling my lip. But then I regained myself. "But I suppose I'm the same too, now that I think about it. However, I'd rather have no class and be who I am, rather than a fake whore who's with people because of their money. But hey," I put my hands up as I shrugged. "That's just me. Now, if you'll excuse me, sir." I mumbled as I made my way by the two and walked down the sidewalk that never seemed to end as the September air swept through my air. Though in the distinct distance, I could hear my name being called, though I made no effort to turn back.

And with time, I found the voice soon to be fading away, but consequently, I was starting to get colder and colder. After all, I _was _only was a coat. And the dress didn't even count because it looked like lingerie. But it was getting harder and harder to walk because my legs were failing on me, as well as my lungs. All that I took in was the icy, blistering wind, and it hurt to breathe. I was starting to get drowsier by the second too, and I was just a zombie, sniffling and shivering.

I heard the voices get louder and louder, but all of a sudden, I felt as if the life was sucked out of me as I fell to my knees and soon collapsed from exhaustion. The last thing I remember was the vibrations of quick, heavy footsteps and my name being called over and over again, but it was futile.

The Devil's Spell Had Took Over.

* * *

A/N: I had lots of fun with this one. In the end, it turned out a bit longer than I expected, but I think Orihime and Rukia's fight makes up for that;D And this is my Christmas present to you all, if I'm too busy to publish another one before the 25th. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, LOVES~


	11. Waking Up Without You

Nothing made sense to me anymore, and I was about to give up on this game called "Life". I didn't even know where I was. Maybe I was alive, maybe I was dead. Maybe I was just drifting between the realm of nothingness and the abyss of oblivion. I didn't know any answers, and was stuck with only questions. I couldn't tell my ups from my downs, because I was so confused from being juggled between reality and just plain insanity. It hadn't been that long that I had stepped into this world, so, why am I reacting like this? Was it like drinking, when the effects hits you like a train an hour or so later? Or maybe I was just ignorant and didn't see what was right in front of me all along. My pupils had dilated so much from being in the darkness that was my inner sanctum that when I found the truth, it hurt to see the light that was the truth. In my life, I had accomplished nothing, and had nothing worth living for…right? That's what I thought, before I had stepped into this world of phenomena and incredibility.

My mind had become so accustomed to being safe and afraid to step out of the safety zone that when I did cross the line, I wasn't prepared for what lied ahead of me in the outside world. It was like bringing a knife to a gun fight—I was a goner. All because I was "afraid". But of what, you ask?

That I don't know.

But I can tell you this: what was waiting for me on the other side, it was beyond my wildest dreams.

I found myself in a soft, downy bed that was big enough to hold five of me and there would _still _be enough space between us. However, I was so comfortable, that I didn't want to leave the comfort that was my bed. But, I don't remember my pillows being so...fluffy. Come to think of it, they're usually flat. It's then that I realized...

_I wasn't in Kansas no more._

I was in complete shock. I didn't know where I was nor how I got here. Cautious, I examined the room I was in shortly after rubbing my eyes to see if this was an "aftershock" to my dream. The whole place had some kind of zen theme to it, judging by the paper-thin sliding doors and the smell of incense wafting in the air. All over the walls were Japanese scrolls with some kind of huge painted character or symbol on it. I then looked behind me and saw the _massive _bed I had fallen out of earlier. Even with the light teal bedsheets all rumpled up and wrinkled, the bunk still looked grandiose and it was so over-the-top, it kinda made me feel a bit richer, having slept in such a luxurious cot. Five of me could fit in there and there would _still _be enough space; and on each side of the mattress, there was a black nightstand with a small statue of an ivory dragon on top. Its Arctic eyes gleaming as the sunset's glow bounced off of its orbs.

But after admiring the room's beauty, I remembered then what had happened yesterday: the pendant, the blood, the drama…I recalled almost each and everybody's face from last night, including those that I'd rather not remember, which made me a bit nauseous on the inside. Feeling slightly helpless, I daintily dangle the necklace's jewel between my fingers, and I hoped that I could find some answers to my dilemma, and for the first time in a long time, I felt as if I could actually find some resolve within this bizarre place.

Consequently, when I was holding the gem and staring at it, almost as if to ask it what to do, I noticed that I was not in the same attire as I was in last night. Looking down, I saw that I was only a rather revealing azure nightgown that had barely covered up my _bits_. I would certainly remember putting on such a thing. I then checked to see if I had somehow changed underwear too, but to my relief, I was still wearing the same pair. I went over to the closet and opened its doors, seeing my once beautiful, 'rose of a dress' now a cocktail dress that was fit for a hooker. I really liked that dress too. Darn shame.

"Ma'am! Ma'am!" A shrill voice cried before I heard a _tap-thud _against the slender, wispy door. Then, one of them slid open, revealing a youthful, but timid maid who bent down as she clumsily set down her things next to her as she bowed deeply with her head in her lap.

"I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up? Oh, may I come in? I-I apologize," She stuttered.

"Uh, sure?" I arched an eyebrow, seeing that this woman was deathly nervous, maybe even terrified, of me; but for what reason, I didn't know. I took a quick look at her, and figured that maybe if she had a confidence boost, she would be that more attractive that she already was. I mean, she was a pretty sight: with glossy, but not greasy, chestnut hair up in a simple bun, and with a button nose on a face sprinkled with tan freckles and matching brown eyes, who could not say she was downright adorable? But I didn't say anything, since I'd kinda sound like a creeper, so I just shut up.

"I'm so sorry to have disturbed you from your slumber, Madame, I-"

I held up a hand. "Don't worry, I fell. That was my wake-up call. You didn't do anything wrong, dear. So why are you so nervous? Come, sit," I insisted as I gently tugged her by the sleeve of her jade shirt adorned with silky white swirls, but she resisted.

"O-Oh no, I can't do something like that. Master Kuchiki would scold me for an eternity if I were to-"

"As long as you're with me, you're fine. And that old coot can kiss my ass," I grinned. "I have a couple of questions to ask you, are you fine with that?"

"Yes ma'am, but let me get you dressed. You were shivering all night," She said as she got up from the bed and went to the closet, pulling out a variety of garments and placed them on the bed, intriguing my curiosity. She pointed to the changing stand in the corner. "You can get changed there."

"Sure," I said as I picked up the clothes and went behind the stand, quickly shimmying out of the nightgown and then I stared at the clothes. I slung the pajamas over the top while examining what I had: there was this big blue robe thing with white flowers printed on it; a plain, miniature version of that and lastly, underwear and socks. "Anyways," I chimed. "How exactly did I get here and how? And where is 'here'?"

"You don't recall anything from last night, miss?"

"I remember meeting that old bat who said he was 'supposedly' my grandfather," I said as I threw my lingerie on the floor and put the new ones on while trying to figure out this white dress thing went. "But I don't buy that bullshit. You don't just pop out of the blue unless you have a reason. So, me and him got into this heated argument and I walked away and I guess I must've gotten hypothermia of the flu or something because I just passed out like _that_," I snapped my fingers. "So, pray tell, just _how _did I get here?"

"Ma'am, I know this will upset you, but," The maid let out a sigh of anxiety. "He really is your grandfather, believe it or not. And while I'm here, I'll need to do your hair so you mind sitting on that chair over there?" She instructed to the seat behind the dresser and mirror. I did and let down my hair (which was up in a messy ponytail) and she started off by brushing out the tangled ends.

"Then I won't believe it, for the time being," I grumbled as tied the strings of the white robe and then put the blue one over it and did the same, then stepping out. "And anyways, you still haven't answered any of my questions."

"Oh, right, right, I had completely forgotten about that. Hold on, let me fix that," She said as she went over to me and tied the robe the _right _way. "Well, what would you like to know?"

"For starters, where on Earth am I and how the hell did I OW!" I yelped as my hair got pulled.

"Sorry, there was a big knot. But the Madame shouldn't use such foul language! It's unbecoming of a lady!" She scolded, but the softness in her voice made her sound like she was whining.

"Uh, I know my looks can deceive people, but I honestly am a grown woman of 21 years."

"Age is just a number, my dear lady. It's not the number of years that make your life special, but the number of moments that made you laugh, or cry, or simply smile. That's what counts."

"…That doesn't tell me how I got here."

"Oh, fiddlesticks, I've gone and rambled on again! Forgive me, Madame. Anywho, as I was saying, your grandfather took you home after your little incident."

I looked around the room, and then gave the girl a blank stare. "No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did," She nodded.

"Lady," I paused. "You have problems. I'm going to say this as clearly as I can so follow carefully: This, is not my home."

The maid burst out in laughter, then covering up her mouth as she settled down. "Oh my, you're a funny one. Whoever said I was talking about _your _home?"

"…Eh?"

"My dear, this is _his _home, or manor, to be more precise. Either way, he took you in, and I'll say, it's been a while since someone new has stepped into this household. Indeed, it's been too long."

"And just where is the old bat?"

"Now, now, since you're a guest of this household, I expect you to behave as like you're a well-mannered woman. Not that you aren't, of course, I'm just stating the-"

"Now I have to follow the rules? Oh, this is good. _This _is funny," I let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Those were his words not mine. Well, not the part at the end, but yeah."

"But where is the old man?"

"He's meditating by the river at the moment, so we shouldn't disturb him."

"Didn't know people of that age still moved that way," I remarked. "Oh, and out of curiosity, did a young doctor with black hair stop by recently?"

"Not that I know of, no. But, I did hear the other maids gossiping about someone mighty attractive that showed up at the front door. I don't know for sure if it was your guy, but I can check. Why? Were you expecting him?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, not at all! I was just checking, that's all!"

"Don't worry, it'll be our little secret," She giggled as she held up her pinky finger, in which I crossed with mine, sealing the promise.

"Yeah, whatever," I muttered.

"And…done!" The maid exclaimed as she put the finishing touches on my hair by pinning up the stray hair in the back with barrettes. "Go on, take a look in the mirror and see if it's to your liking."

I took the mirror that she handed me and I was amazed at how good she was at hair. She transformed my tumbleweed of a black mess to a sleek and elegant huge, fanned-out bun that looked regal, yet simple.

"This is amazing," I gaped. "How did you-"

All of the sudden, there was this ring that was so eerie, it made my entire body tense up with anxiety.

"Oh my, is that the 3rd ring? How come I didn't hear it earlier?" The maid muttered to herself as she quickly cleaned things up. Master's going to be so furious at me…"

"Wait, where are you going?" I queried.

"The Master has summoned me. I just can't believe I didn't hear the previous rings. By now, he must be so impatient," She said as she stepped out the door.

"Wait!" I shouted.

"What?" The maid stepped back into the room.

"You never told me where we are!"

"Look around you, you'll figure it out."

"But wait!" I called again after she left, and this time, she seemed a bit more irritated.

"What?"

"…What's your name?"

And then, something happened. Something I'd never expect in a million years—she laughed. She was almost crying from how hard she was laughing, which totally didn't make me uncomfortable one bit.

"Silly girl, I have no name."

And just like that, she was gone. What did she mean by that? _Everybody _has a name. Maybe she was just joking around, trying to pull my leg or something. Yeah, that was it, she just wanted to see how gullible I was. Well, hahaha, she's not going to get me. I will _not _be fooled.

Realizing I had just been abandoned, I decided to explore my surroundings. I stepped out of the sliding doorway and looked both left and right, as if I was a small girl crossing the street.

To my left, there was a hallway with at least four or five rooms similar to mine, and the other way led to an empty, barren space with one door that was rather large in comparison to the others. My guess that it was either an entrance or an exit and being the curious cat that I was, I decided to see for myself and figure out where in God's name I was.

I slid open the door and was surprised to see Old Man Ginrei sitting down on the wooden floor of the balcony with his legs crissed-crossed, applesauce. I'm just glad the robe he was wearing was extra long and went over his knees. I took a seat next to him without saying a word, and surprisingly, I found the silence soothing. I could see why he would choose to meditate here. The only sounds that passed through my ears was the movement of the river right across from us and the wind blowing in the trees hovering over us. It was beyond relaxing, I felt as if I were high and entered another dimension where all of my worried just _melted _away.

"I take it that you slept well?" Ginrei asked, though he didn't look as interested as he sounded.

"Yup. I slept like a newborn babe—couldn't have been better," I assured him with a grin, trying to appear as if nothing was bothering me, but I don't know if I masked it that well or not.

"Good, I was a bit worried on how you'd adapt to the new environment and such."

"Well, maybe I'd 'adapt' a bit better if I knew where the heck I was," I said subtly as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"We aren't far from New York. That's all you need to know-"

"What do you mean?" I blurted, immediately getting a stern glare from the old man.

"People in this society must know their place. Especially you, Rukia Kuchiki. Present yourself in an honorable manner with your head held high. Don't act as if you only have yourself to worry about, because your string of fate intersects with others', therefore making a web. And that web holds each and every single one of you together. If one point is too weak, it'll break. If one is too heavy, it'll fall. But I will make you into a spider, in which you can craft your own webs and tell your own stories. Did it ever occur to you as to _why _I took you here, instead of your home?"

"Because you didn't know where it was?" I guessed.

"Because I made a promise."

"And to whom-"

"Your sister."

It's funny how only a word or two can completely tide over a human's emotions. Maybe we're just over-sensitive and actually give a shit about what people say. Or maybe we're just…human. It only takes a grain of sand to tip the scale, and one grain can be the difference between life or death. They say words can't break your bones; but with that kind of power, they sure as hell can _make _something break your bones.

"She asked me," He continued. "To watch over you and teach you as I had taught her."

"And what exactly did you teach her?"

"You'll find that out in time."

"Speaking of which, how long do I have to stay here anyway?"

"You can leave this place at anytime you want. I'm not forcing you to stay here. By all means, go ahead and leave, if that's what you truly desire. It's up to you: you can stay here, or you can go back home, without fulfilling Hisana's last request. It's your ca-"

"Then I have no choice _but _to stay here and get schooled, right?"

"Good. Now, I have some errands for you to run," The old man pulled out a piece of paper that had been tucked away in his robe's pockets, giving it to me. "On there, there's a list of items you'll need to pick up from specific people as well as a list of parcels you need to deliver."

"But how will they know who I am?"

"Just introduce yourself. Go on and try to catch them before nightfall."

"Wait, what time is it?" I turned back.

"5:47. The sun will set half 'til seven, so hurry up and take your leave."

"But where do I go?"

"The paper will explain everything. Now, if you don't mind," He said as he got up from the floor. "I have business to attend to. The maid's delivering the parcels now."

And right then, the doors behind us slid open, revealing the same maid from before, who then bowed deeply before speaking.

"Pardon for the intrusion, sir, but your meeting-"

"I'm already leaving, don't worry about me, just hand the girl her items and tell her where to go. I'm late already," Were his last words before walking right past the female, who was still on her knees. I crouched down on one knee, staring at her for a moment.

"Uh, you can get up, you know," I muttered.

"Right," She said in barely a whisper as she got up. "Now, let's see-"

"Hold up a sec," I cut her off. "You forgot something."

"I did? What is it?"

"Your name. Tell me, what is it?" I asked, though this time with a some seriousness in my tone, which caught the maid off-guard.

"I…have no name. I was taken in my Master, and when he asked me my name, I said I didn't know. He then said for me to tell him when I think for one for myself and that it should having some meaning or sentimental value, but with everything being the same, there's nothing really special or extraordinary that comes to mind. For many years, I've done the same things over and over again, from dawn 'til dusk, and everything was just like clockwork, never changing. Life had just been one washing cycle that had never ceased to end. We maids and servants are used to the same things every day, we get things done on time, no earlier, no later. But that's until I met you, Madame."

"Please, call me Rukia," I insisted.

"That's it!" The woman exclaimed as she planted a fist into her palm. "Rukia! That'll be my name!"

"Hold on now," I chimed in, only to crush her spirits. "You have to have your _own _name. It'd be confusing with two Rukias running about, don't you think?"

"I suppose," She hung her head solemnly. Feeling bad about crushing her spirits like that, I gave her a pat on the back and a smile as she looked up at me with question in her eyes.

"What if _I _thought a name for you? But on the other hand, it _is _your name and-"

"Oh my goodness, would you really?" She literally squealed. I was recovered that she had bounced back so easily, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had done something wrong. It's not easy to explain, but my instincts were telling me I had crossed a line somewhere; but at that moment, I told my instincts to shut up as I continued to wear the plastered-on Barbie smile to make the girl happy. And at the time, I was hitching a ride on the train of thought, so I was practically blind and didn't see the girl coming up to hug me, which took my body by surprise, making me choke. She backed away immediately, like a startled fawn, and gazed at me with eyes full of apology. As if I didn't feel bad enough already.

"I-I'm sorry," The girl bowed her head, but I brought it back up with the crook of my knuckle and shot her a stern look that said, 'Girl, don't you apologize for nothing'.

"You silly child," I giggled as I blew away the strange bang between her brown eyes out of her face. "What do you have to be sorry for? You didn't do a single thing."

"But I-"

"No buts," I cut her off. "You need to learn how to stand up for yourself. Otherwise, people are going to run you over like a stampede of wildebeests."

"But the thing is," She started, but then paused in hesitation. "I can't…I don't necessarily have enough courage within me to do such a thing."

"Are you saying you can't even defend your own opinion?"

"Not really, no. You see, it's not one of those things that just happens over night. I was taken in and brought up as a maid and I was taught to keep my opinions to myself."

"Well, you can't stay like this," I shook my head. "You have to learn how to stand up for yourself! You're…how old are you again?"

"19," The maid answered sheepishly.

"Shut. Up." I gaped, flabbergasted. "You have a life to be living! Why are you cooped up in here?"

"It's complicated," She murmured as she tapped her fingers together. "I signed this kinda 'contract'."

"Contract with whom?"

"Master Ginrei."

I knew there was something about that old coot I didn't like.

"Unbelievable," I remarked with hate and disgust hissing out of my mouth.

"But don't misunderstand," The nameless female said before my mouth exploded with each and every imaginable expletive in the English alphabet. "Master has a good reason for doing this, Miss Rukia."

"And that reason would be…?"

"…That, I don't know. But I knew I did the right thing by signing it."

Instead of demanding how and why she didn't know the full terms of her 'contract' she signed, therefore resulting in a conflict, therefore leading to yet _another _person that would hate me. But instead, I just shut up and saw myself in her shoes and realized…I was the _exact _same. I didn't know what was happening around me, isolated in a 'safe zone', not knowing what's on the other side. Was I really so blind that I had to have someone to hold my hand as I walk through the clouded darkness? Without any answers, I was just as dumb as lost as a bimbo. But looking back at the girl, and seeing how she wasn't even the slightest bit pressured or as cautious about stuff as compared to the paranoid nut that I was, it was proof that ignorance was indeed bliss.

"I believe you," I said.

"Huh?"

"I believe that whatever the reason, you signed the contract for a good reason. You trusted your gut when you did it, that much is obvious. So, everything will work itself out. You just gotta have faith in it and believe."

"You know what?" She mumbled as she stood up, looking me dead in the eye. "I've never given much thought about the contract. I never asked myself why he asked me to stay or even how or why he has so many maids and servants or why I didn't just leave. Up until you came, I've never questioned it, just accepted it, and continued on with my life. But now, it got me thinking. I don't know a lot of things, I'll admit that much. I don't know what Master Ginrei's true purpose or goal is. I don't know if your coming here was an omen of luck or one of misfortune. However, this much I _do _know," The maid paused. "You are not like any other person I have met. Your thinking and your way of doing things made me question the very same things I was doing over and over again each day. Now, I'm laughing at myself for doing something I should've done a long time ago; but I carry no regrets. What's done is done. However, there is something awfully peculiar about you, but I can't place my finger on it. Do you have this effect on everybody, Ms. Rukia?"

"Uh, I didn't even know I had an 'effect' on people in the first place," I said as I scratched the back of my head, needing something to fiddle with so I wouldn't gawk at the girl like a half-awake drunkard.

Then, we heard a deep chime, like one from a grandfather clock, and the maid's face lit up with surprise, as if she had just remembered something.

"Shoot, I had completely forgotten about your parcels! C'mon, you need to get a move on and hurry before nightfall!" She said all in one breath as she scurried to pick up the packages, and put them in my hands before leading me to an exit down the hallway, which led to a little beaten path down the woods, surrounded by pines on both sides. It looked really creepy—sketchy even.

"Rukia, you need to get a move on!" The maid urged me with a light push towards the doorsteps. I stepped down and looked up at her (since she was now taller than me, now that I've stepped down a foot) and told her I wouldn't forget my promise. Her eyebrows furrowed together in puzzlement. When she asked what I meant, I simply smiled and said, "Your name. I'll think of one, I promise."

And boy, was her face priceless. It was as if someone had defibrillated the girl's hope and instantly, she was brought back to life.

With a hop, skip, and look-around, I started walking down the endless path, with a basket of parcels in my hand while my other one was tweaking my bang that somehow always seemed to come in between my eyes. Can you say annoying?

Oddly enough, I found myself at peace while strolling. I was alone, winding down a beaten path with jungles of trees on both my left and right, and the only way to go was forward. The sounds of the wind blowing through the trees' arms and its wispy tongue seemed to put me at ease.

But then, I heard a strange rustling sound behind me, which made my whole body have a mini-tremor of fear. Now, this wasn't just any squirrel or rabbit hopping about. This sounded like a friggin' tank on legs, and quick ones too. I turned around, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Who's there?" I yell as I take off both of my sandals, and held them up as a weapon, but God knows I'd run like hell, and the only thing you would see for miles is the dust behind me.

No one or nothing responded to my question, so when I asked again, I kinda felt like a loon. And a paranoid one at that, but I'd rather be paranoid than dead. But still, I knew _something _was there. The sounds were barely audible now, and the leaves didn't move as much as they did, which alerted me that whatever was in the woods, was as cautious as I was—maybe even more than that. I didn't know whether to sprint away or stay for another moment to see if I was just hallucinating. I took my chances and waited around for a minute, but my body was ready to flee on sight of a crazie or killer, but nothing happened. Feeling a bit stupid now, I lowered my guard and speed-walked down the road, wanting to get off of this never-ending road as fast as possible; and before I knew it, the sights of the town had slowly emerged from the hill I was on, giving me that extra pep in my step.

Relieved, I ran over to the entrance, a bit curious, and even excited, to see what lied over the unusually large knoll. But what was waiting for me, no one could've guessed. It was more of a "village" than a "town", judging by how run-down it was. There were man-made huts for miles and miles, and beyond that, at the edge of the huge pen that encircled the buildings, a group of peculiar, gargantuan factories towered over them, and I mean _literally_. Their shadows covered half of the entire village. But staring at those plants…it made me shudder, and I don't even know why. I couldn't stop looking at it, but it felt _so _eerie. It reeked of "bad chi" or "vibes" or whatever the hell you call it nowadays. And that's not all. Nu-uh. That was just the cherry on top of the sundae.

When I got closer to the village and walked down the hill, I took a good look at the entrance, noting that whatever was supposed to be guarding it had left a long time ago.

I pushed open the bare gates, and I wasn't exactly presented with a welcome wagon on my way in, either. It was more like the wagon had crashed and fell into a river and the people on it tried to make do of whatever pieces were left of it into a village. My first impression of it was that it was a bit shoddy and run-down—no big deal. But when I got a closer look and realized, its living conditions were so horrible, even a hobo wouldn't want to crash here. The buildings were made out of straw and wood, and they looked like they were collapse any minute. Not to mention the fact that there was this weird, mutated species of a bug that looked like a giant green cockroach with four legs was chewing through the roof didn't make my visit any better. I was deathly afraid of bugs. Even butterflies and ladybugs. They're all disgusting. And on top of that, the place looked like a ghost town. There was nobody in sight, which made me even more suspicious. Then, something happened—the first sign of life had surfaced.

"There ain't 'nuff room for ya!" A gruff, elderly voice roared as a door opened, pushing a boy out of the doorway and to the ground, with the door being slammed right in front of his face.

"Hey!" I yelled as I ran over to the door and kicked it. "What's the matter with you? You can't just kick out someone like that!"

Nobody responded, so I kicked it again and demanded for an answer, but only the mull voice of silence filled my ears.

"They won't say anything."

I turned around and saw the boy looking directly at me, but something told me he was very different from the people I have met before.

"Why did they just do that to you?" I asked while observing him quickly. He appeared to be in his teens, at the most, 18. However, his thin, but built, arms and legs disproved him of being a "boy". I felt bad for him, because he was barefoot in the middle of winter and the only thing he had on was a pair of dark denim jeans that were ripped; one pant leg was ripped halfway up his calf while the other ended right above his knee and they were as dirty and as beaten up as an old horse. That, plus on his arms (his sleeves were ripped too), there were bug bites and bruises galore. The first three buttons of his black and red lumberjack shirt were missing, thus revealing some major skin of his torso. Now, you'd think my reason for telling you this was because of how wiry and muscular it was, but you're wrong. My mouth dropped open the second I saw it was because of the massive field of belt welts and cuts all over it. I couldn't even imagine how much pain he must've gone through. But as to why he had so many, I was clueless.

"A-hem, my eyes are up here," He cleared his throat, getting my attention.

I was so embarrassed, and now, this kid, er, guy, probably thinks I'm such kind of pedophile because I was ogling at his torso.

"Uh," I blinked. "I wasn't staring at your chest. It was just that the-"

"The wounds, am I right?" The brunette asked with a slight questioning look. It was then that I realized that he wasn't like most teens, much less people, I've met. His icy azure eyes gave him that quiet, but intimidating demeanor, and you can tell that if needed, he won't hesitate to bite.

"Can I ask how you get them?" I questioned as I stared at him intently, seeing that his unruly mane of dark chocolate had small pieces of unidentifiable objects in there.

"But before I do, can you tell me your name? Talking to a complete stranger in the middle of a deserted town with people watching from where they're hiding seems kind of strange, wouldn't you agree?"

I laughed and said, "Rukia. Kuchiki. I was sent down here by-"

"_Did she say Kuchiki?"_ A voice said.

_"I think she did!"_ Exclaimed another.

_"That means she's related to Ginrei!"_

"What's the big deal?" I whispered to the boy, who raised his eyebrows in amusement at me.

"You don't know?" He asked curiously as the murmuring around us got louder and louder until one by one, peoples' head started popping up from behind counters and roofs (don't ask me how they got there) until me and the guy were completely surround by a crowd of big eyes, tattered clothes, and bare feet. I didn't know how to react, since it was 500 to 1.

_"Are you really who you say you are?"_ A thin bony woman asked as she held a small child's hand, whose head was just peering around the elder's body and once I made eye contact with her, she immediately ducked behind her grandmother.

_"Just look at her? Can't you tell?"_ A man shouted.

_"But what if she's an imposter-"_

"Quiet."

Everybody's head turned in the direction of the voice, and in the crowd, there was a path that was being made for someone and once it was, a rather curvaceous, but well-mannered woman made her way over to me with two attendees by her side. A light green cardigan was draped over her shoulders, complimenting the simple white top she wore and the wooden sandals on her feet. A single giant, ebony braid trailed down in front, and ended at the end of her abdomen. She walked with a grace that was simple, yet refined, so when she came over to me, I acknowledged her with a deep nod and an open hand, since it appeared she ran some kind of major show around here.

"Rukia Kuchiki. And you?" I inquired, but once I did, I heard the crowd stir up again.

_"I told you she said Kuchiki."_

_"But she's so small! She can't be one of them."_

_"Why is she her in the first place, though?"_

"That's enough," The woman glanced over her shoulder, giving a light warning to the people around her before turning to me. "Retsu Unohana, but you'll hear the people around here refer to me as their 'Mother' or 'Momma', but it's entirely up to you. Anyway, I'm assuming your grandfather sent you here on some errands?"

As much as I was disgusted with calling that man my "grandfather", I swallowed my repugnance and gave 'em that classic Botox smile.

"Yes ma'am," I nodded, but I was surprised when I heard the woman burst out in laugher.

"Please, call me anything but that. Makes me feel old. But dear, you look like a dear in the headlights. Is it because of all of these people? Don't worry, give them a minute or two and they'll back off. We rarely, if ever, have visitors in out town, so it's some kind of special when someone new walks in. I'll have Ginrei's package ready in about an hour, so that should be more than enough time to pick up your other stuff. And to help you, my boy there should be able to guide you throughout town to help you get to where you need to go," She nodded as she started to walk away.

"Wait!" I shouted.

She turned back.

"Is he _really_ your son?" I titled my head to the side as I jerked a thumb to the brunette next to me.

The woman laughed. "I told you, I'm Momma. Now, if you'll excuse me," She smiled as she started to walk away with the people opening a path to her yet again, only to have it closed behind her. Either she was a super-hoe, or I was just too plain retarded to see the meaning behind the context.

All of a sudden, I feel a hand plop down on my shoulder and I hear a warm, slight husky voice whisper into my ear, "I'm an orphan". My instincts made me jump back in primitive fear, but I knew it was the boy who had said it.

"What's your name, anyway?" I ask.

"Tensa."

"Tensa…what? You don't have a last name?"

"Nope," He shrugged.

What was with these people and names?

"Well, Tensa, you mind accompanying me to where I need to go?"

"Normally, I'd decline, but since you're a-"

"A Kuchiki," I cut him off, feeling a tiny bit let down.

"Interesting."

I blink twice and then stare at him. "What is?"

"You are. This crappy village hasn't had a foreign visitor for years. It's good to see a new face around here."

"So, I'm guessing that's a yes?"

"It is."

"Then let's get going," I nodded as he led me to the center of the village, which was equidistant from almost everything. Tensa paused for a moment to plan out his route, but then he stopped and looked at me.

"What do you need to get?"

"Um," I pulled out the list and read it out loud. "3 bottles of sake, get his order at Unohana's, give a package to Professor Mayuri, and while I'm there, I need to pick up something as well."

"Then we should take the northwest route to the nursery first, and we would just make a giant circle here and pick up your stuff and go to Unohana's last."

"Sounds like a plan," I smirked, dusting off the dirt off of my dress. "Let's get a move on then."

"Right."

And so we did. But with everybody staring at us from every corner, it was just nerve-wracking. That, plus Tensa wasn't as social as I thought. There as just an awkward sea of silence drifting between us, but I didn't want to seem desperate for conversation. But when I looked at him, he didn't seem one bit uncomfortable or one bit less. He was just…_blank. _Maybe he was used to the silence? I wondered if he was just putting up a front or something. But then, I had a _brilliant_ idea—who says I couldn't use my "disability" to my advantage? If I could just pick at his brain for a sec, I could see what was really on this guy's mind. It was decided. But there was only one problem: I didn't know _how _to. Sure, I had _before_, but I had no clue as to _how _I was able to do such a thing. They came to me, whether I wanted them or not. I didn't know how this whole shebang worked; I just found out this out less than two weeks ago, so cut me some slack. For all I know, I could've been hallucinating the whole thing up, but it was worth a shot.

Blocking out everything around me, I put all of my concentration into trying to "hack" Tensa's head. It's weird, but I could tell that it was actually working. Or that I was at least trying. Each time I attempted to read his mind, it was as if all of the things around me had gradually been muted out, like when you turn down the TV bit by bit; but with each try, I realized that it took a lot of me, because my body felt ten times heavier.

With my first endeavor, I wasn't trying hard enough, since there was interference from the people talking, so I tried for a second time, and got nothing. But when I went for the third go, I heard something that sounded like static, and in my head, I saw a sea of grey clouds. Or maybe it was fog. It was blurry, so I couldn't see exactly what it was. Even though I had only tried three times, I was exhausted, and it was starting to get obvious. In fact, it was so obvious, that I staggered on my knees, attracting the attention of said target. He turned back and bent down to help me out.

"Are you alright?" The brunette asked, who seemed a bit confused and worried at the same time. And I didn't have to read his mind to tell you that.

"Yeah, my legs just failed on me for a sec. Must be these wooden sandals. I'm not used to walking in them," I mumbled as I moved the stray bangs out of my face. Tensa offered mea hand and I took it; but when I did, it was as if someone had just rammed down the door I was trying to lock pick for hours. I got a peek of what he was thinking. Only it had only been for about a couple of seconds, it was a mystery all on its own. There were navy and grey skyscrapers as far as the eye could see, and they were so high, you couldn't see the bottom or the top. But there were those same, ominous storm clouds from earlier, and I could've sworn I saw lightning dancing through them. And what was even more odd, there were voice speaking, but it was all chopped up and minced. They weren't one complete thought or word. If anything, all they could manage to get out was a syllable before being cut off by another voice. It was beyond errie.

"Rukia?"

The voice brought me back to reality, and I realized then that I was gawking at the man like an idiot.

"Uh, what just happened?" I played dumb.

"You zoned out for a minute. And it was kinda creepy. You were just staring at nothing, almost as if you were just a lifeless cadaver."

Great. A guy I had met less than 24 hours ago now thinks I'm a creeper. Good job so far, Rukia.

"I just had a moment," I fibbed as I fidgeted with my hair in nervousness.

"Lie."

"Is not!"

"You're so easy to read, it's actually a bit humorous," Tensa laughed as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I am not! Since when did you turn into a douche?"

"Oh, and you're gullible too."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Keep up, girl. You won't survive a day out here unless you do," He shrugged as he walked on, leaving me behind.

"Hold on a sec!" I yelled as I ran and caught up with him. "What did you mean when you said I was gullible?"

"I mean that you believed a simple lie such as the one I made up."

"Wha-"

"You're _not _easy to read. You're like a Rubiks cube that keeps on switching colors. I told you: if you weren't interesting, I wouldn't have helped you out in the first place."

"D'aww, surely a gentleman like you can't turn down such an offer," I teased.

"Doesn't matter," Tensa changed the subject. "What could've been in the past isn't today's tomorrow, so don't worry about it. We need to focus at the task at hand, which is to pick up the three bottles of rice-wine from Mr. Kyoraku."

"It shouldn't be long by now," I muttered, trying to shake off the awkwardness between us, but it still lingered. We started on our way again, but I was too flustered by my "episode" earlier to even look the guy in the eye.

"Mind if I ask a question?" He turned his head to the right to look at me from the corner of his eye. I glanced at him for a sec as I chewed on my bottom lip.

"I guess."

"Just where exactly are you from?"

I shrugged. "Dunno."

"What do you-"

"You're not the only orphan," I said in almost a growl.

"I'm…sorry to hear that," Tensa bowed his head.

"Don't be, there's nothing to be sorry _for_. But to answer your question, I've been living in New York most of my life."

"New…York?" The boy blinked.

"You've…never heard of New York? How could you _not?_ Everybody knows New York!"

"Is this New York a friend of yours? They must get around if everybody knows them."

"No…it's a city…have you even heard of Las Vegas, or D.C, or Cali?"

"…Are they people too?"

"Tensa," I grabbed his shoulder, as well as his full attention. Making eye contact with him, I saw that he was a bit shocked by the move. "Please tell me you're joking around again so I don't start freaking out."

"Like when you fell?"

"That freak out was a bit unexpected, but yes, freak out all the same."

"Then don't fall again, because I have never heard of those names."

I stared at him with big eyes and a gaping mouth. I couldn't believe it. He _had _to be pulling another trick. He just had to.

"You liar!" I shoved him, but he was heavier than I though, nearly making me lose my balance.

"What's wrong with you?" He shot me a glare that read 'What the FUCK are you doing?' It made me hesitate for a moment before speaking, because it was so intense, I forgot that he was younger than me for a sec. Or at least, I hoped he was younger than me.

"You're making this up!" I laughed, but it appeared that he didn't join in on the humor.

"What's so funny? I'm not laughing, so I don't see why you are."

That's when I actually believed he was telling the truth.

"Let me ask you a question then," I sighed as I tapped my fingers together, trying to shake off the weird vibe between us. "Do you at least know where you are?"

"Finally, a question I can answer. We're in Soul Village, Rukongai district."

I cocked a skeptic eyebrow at him. "…Seriously? Soul Village? They couldn't have thought of a better name?"

"Hey, I didn't name it," Tensa protested slightly with his hands up, but then, his eyes lit up as they caught something. He pointed to a bar not far from where we were. "There's the Kyoraku household. Let's get a move on, he'll close soon."

He led the way with me clumsily following behind (it's not my fault I'm not used to wearing wooden sandals). But once I caught up with the brunette, I was surprised to find a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he talked to a young female that was sweeping the house's porch. She had her pinned up with a hairclip and rectangular frames rested on the edge of her nose. Finding it a bit amusing that the boy actually smiled, I couldn't help but let out a giggle at the act of such properness he presented to the woman, but once he scowled my way, I immediately shut up.

"Well, well, are you what's all the commotion about?"

My eyes saw a man who looked like he was in his early 30's with long wavy chestnut locks fall on his shoulder as he emerged from one of the doors inside of the house A thick, but barely noticeable beard was starting to grow over his chin with matching deep brown eyes watching me with interest. Shrugging off the silky, imperial violet shawl that was on his shoulders, he situated himself behind the counter of his kitchen before clearing his throat to speak.

"You're Ginrei's blood?" The man scratched his chin.

"Yessir," I nodded, biting my tongue for a sec before I said anything nasty about the old bat. "And I'm here to pick up some sake."

"Sure thing, but first, why don't you step into my humble abode, Ms…?"

"Rukia, but I really don't have any-"

I then felt a heavy hand plop down on my shoulder like a weight and it slid down to the side of my arm, pulling me to Tensa's chest, and before I could whisper my death threat, he said, "Oh, nonsense, we have an hour to kill."

"Splendid! Come in, come in!" The man motioned with his hand for us to enter the home. I moved a few strands of the hanging beads from the doorway as I walked on in, and sat on one of the chairs that was docked stylishly beneath the bar the man was leaning on. And in the corner of my eye, I saw the same woman mutter something to Tensa, and they both left by the back door entrance, and I couldn't help but sense that something fishy was going on.

"Jeez, it's been a long time since this village had someone new in these parts," The man remarked as he poured some kind of drink in the little cup next to me and then extended his hand out as he got done. "I'm Shunsui Kyoraku, owner of this fine establishment. I'm honored to have one of the Kuchikis in my household."

"This is your workplace _and _your house?" I asked with interest as I took a sip of the drink, swallowing the stinging bitterness, but it had a sweet tinge of cherry in it. Interesting.

"Mhmm. My wife, Nanao, says it's because I'm lazy, but I have my reasons. Now, your bottles should be done soon, I'm just getting it wrapped up."

"That's kind of you, thank you very much."

"Hey now, no need to be so proper! Surely you don't act so timid in the city, no?"

I literally dropped my mouth, and the drink I was holding had crashed onto the floor, spilling it all over me and it got between the dress, making me shudder as the icy liquid bit my skin. I wasn't good with first meetings, period.

"I'm _so _sorry!" I exclaimed as I tried to dub it out of my clothes, but Shunsui only held up a hand.

"Don't worry, it won't stain. I didn't give you alcohol because I didn't know if what I carried suited your tastes. But speaking of which, don't people drink a lot in New York?"

I closed my mouth immediately. Hold on, I need to think for a second. If Tensa didn't know about New York, then that must've meant that other people didn't know as well, since he was just like them…kinda. But how come this guy knew?

"How do you-"

"Know this?" He grinned. "I guess you could say I'm not like most of the people here. It must be different, having to adapt to a totally different environment. When did you fly in?"

"Uh, I don't really know _how _I got here, since I collapsed last night, and next thing I know, I'm in the middle of nowhere, lying on a king-sized bed."

"Ah, has someone been partying a little too hard?"

I thought about last night's events and decided that that was my best excuse. "Haha, yeah, I guess I was exhausted from dancing too much."

_Or trying to save my ass from a psycho bitch._

"It must be fun, being young and living in the Big Apple."

"But what did you mean you're not like most people here?" I brought the subject back up.

"Exactly what I said," He sipped. "I'm sure you've noticed, but most of the people look homeless, right?"

I nodded hesitantly.

"That's because they are. They scavenge and live in whatever parts of abandoned buildings are still standing. It's survival of the slyest and fastest out here."

The memory of the old man kicking out Tensa out in the street replayed in my head, and it made me so upset, but I could only clench my fists and swallowed my disgust.

"I figured as much," I agreed. "And you?"

"I'm not from here, like you. I'm actually from Ontario, which isn't that far from here. But my point being," Shunsui paused, then setting his cup down as he looked me dead in the eye. "All of the people here are slaves. All exiles of the society we know is outside this place. Having all of the memories of their 'previous life' being wiped out, they start a new life. As a slave. I managed to pay the piper in advance, so I got to slip by. But it's not I like the idea of having people act like complete zombies without a shred of sense left. If anything, I'm disgusted by the very fact, but I can't do anything, since one, it's out of my power to do so, and two, it's not my affair."

"Slaves? For whom? And how did they get that way and-"

"Whoa, whoa, missy, one at a time," The man sighed. "Yes, they're slaves, having to work 24-hour-shofts picking crops and farming, doing manual work, all that stuff. And if by chance they refuse to do said labor, they get beaten and whipped until they're just a useless corpse. However, some do survive, but not many do. It's quite rare if they succeed. You'd be surprised by how much an audience loves a good beating."

"You people _enjoy _seeing your own friends getting beaten to death?" I growled, almost snarling.

"I never said that _I _did, but yes, these animals enjoy such activities. When having lost everything, including their morals, they'll settle for anything. Such sad lives they lead."

"Who do they work for?"

"For themselves. They get an 1/8th of whatever crop or profit they make."

"And the other 7/8th ?"

"Goes to 'building a better future'. It's all government smoke and mirrors and PR bullshit. They'll believe anything."

"This is unbelievable," I scoffed. "So, everyone I've met, and everyone I've seen, they're all of these mindless slaves?"

"Not necessarily," He held a finger. "Those 'good ones' are hand-picked and selected by Ginrei and the government to pursuer bigger and better things, but the twos purpose are completely different. Ginrei 'rescues' them, if you will, whereas the government treats them as dogs in suits. I'm sure you were curious as to why there were so many servants and maids in your home, right? But on the note, there _are _normal people out there, but they're limited. Some actually remember parts of their past, but they keep it secret, since, well, it'd be scary as hell, wouldn't you agree? Having to see yourself act completely different and live a completely different life than this, that can only be described as a dream."

"…Damn," I muttered with incredibility.

" But seeing those people smiling and laughing, even as they're tangled up in this web of lies and still having the strength to live for another day, even if they were nearly killed the day before…it's something I could never accomplish. To have a will to life like that, it's inspiring."

"But wait, if you're not a slave, and you remember your past, then why are you here of all places?"

The man took a sip of his drink before setting it down and said, "I have my reasons."

"Oh, right," I nodded, feeling slightly paranoid that the man thought I was being a bit nosy.

Then, we heard the shuffling and clinking of the beads, and the same woman from before came out with a basket then handing them to me.

"There you go," She smiled as she handed it over to me, and I almost fell over in my chair because they were so heavy.

"Jesus," I gaped as I wrapped my arms around it so it wouldn't fall.

The woman disappeared yet again, and Shunsui came around the counter to help me as he carried the basket so that I could get up. We walked to the doorway before our departure. He set the package down before looking down at me.

"There you go, Miss Rukia. I hope you'll enjoy it, it's our finest."

"Thank you very much," I bowed. I froze mid-way, because I didn't know what came over me to do such a thing, but then I realized my head was at the same level at his crotch, which was beyond embarrassing. Why I had to be so short, I don't know, but it's a curse.

"There's a bug on your feet," I fibbed.

"Really?" He tilted his head to the said.

I flicked the top of his toe. "Got it," I chuckled nervously and lifted the basket. I would die if someone saw me just now.

"But, can you make me a promise before you go?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Everything that I told you, don't tell anyone, okay? Especially that boy. He looks like he has enough problems already."

"I'll try," I joked.

"Oh, and before you leave, be sure to visit Sokyoko Hill. It's quite the sight."

"Will do. Nice meeting you, Shunsui," I waved as I exited the shop, seeing Tensa leaning against the wall of a nearby building and stared at me intently.

Up until now, I didn't think there was anything 'wrong' with Tense. No…that wasn't the correct term. What I meant to say was I didn't know someone had done him wrong like that, making him go through so much pain when he's only so young…it makes me sick.

"Rukia?" He chimed in, bringing me back to reality.

"Huh?"

"Do you need any help carrying that?" Tensa pointed to basket of alcohol.

"Er, uhm, nah, I got it," I assured him with a plastered-on smile. Truth was, the thing was like a giant weight, but I was worried one of his wounds might open up, so I just pretended as if it wasn't about to tip me over.

"So, where to next?" I asked.

"To the Kurotsuchi Laboratory. This walk will be a bit longer, but we have time, so no rush."

"Can't really rush, even if I wanted to," I muttered to myself.

"Here, I'll carry it-"

"No! You'll strain yourself and your wounds will open up!" I jerked back away from him, getting a look of bewilderment as we both froze in our steps.

"…Why do you care for my well-being?"

"Because you're obviously hurting and I can't bare to see people like that."

"I survived this long, I'm pretty sure I can survive lifting a basket."

"Fine, whatever," I growled as I pushed the basket towards him while walking on ahead. It didn't take long for him to catch up, which pissed me off a little bit. A moment of silence was wafting between us, and I sure as hell wasn't going to say anything. If he was going to refuse my help, then so be it.

"You mind if I ask a question?" He asked with interest, as if nothing had happened.

"Depends," I shrugged.

"What's New York like?"

"Why?"

"While you were talking with Mr. Kyoraku, I thought about some of the things you said. This 'New York' aroused my interest. If people like you came from there, imagine what else lies there, is what I thought."

"What the hell do you mean 'people like you'?" I raised an eyebrow and shooting a glare at the boy.

"Interesting people."

"Interesting people aren't just found in New York, you know. You just have to meet and greet with the right folks. But I'm not too fond of people, honestly. Some of them can be really," I sighed, letting some of my irritation go. "Annoying."

"That's pretty much what's expected of people, so I'm not surprised. But what about the place? What's it like living there?"

"Uh, well," I paused for a sec to gather my thoughts. "It's _huge. _There's people and buildings everywhere and the streets are always packed with people and something's always going on and if you just step back from the city life and look at it from a distance, it's quite beautiful. Well, at least in my view."

"So, it's _nothing _like here, right?"

"Pretty much. More like opposites, really."

"Why are you here then?"

I didn't quite know for myself. Up until last night, I didn't even know I had a grandpa, so you can imagine how…_surprised, _I was when he popped out of nowhere and meets me for the first time. And then he has the balls to say that he's going to take me, a 20-year-old, to his house. I was just so…mad and so…confused about what was going on. Not to mention the fact that he wasn't the only one who 'popped up'. That's what I would've liked to have said, but he would probably think I'm crazy.

"I'm here to fulfill a promise I made."

"What is it?"

"I honestly don't know for myself and-"

"No, something's bothering you. What is it?"

"Nothing, just some shit that happened last night at a party with me and some people. It's just been on my mind and I'm just worried about where me and certain people stand."

"Oh? I didn't know you had a boyfriend," He snickered.

"Who said I did in the first place?" I shoved him. "And besides, that's none of your business!"

"You said you were at a party, so that mean they were people which means you may or may not have been with someone else, right? Oh, I can see how that would cause some issues."

"You make me sound like such a slut," I sneered.

"I wasn't implying that at all. But you were the one who said it, not me."

I dropped my mouth, realizing what he had meant.

"Shit," I muttered as I put a hand through my hair.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

"No," I sighed. "It's not your fault. It's just that there's a lotta drama going on and I dunno what to do."

"Talking helps," He offered.

You had no idea how badly I just wanted to rant and pour everything out of my mouth that's been bothering. I knew talking helped. I knew that very well. But I didn't want to just tell me whole life story just yet. I just met the guy.

"I'm good," I nod with a smile. "It's just, me and this 'guy' I don't know if we're just fooling around and for real or not, and he had presented no solid proof that we _were _something, so I felt that it was 'okay' for me to dance with someone else at the party. Sue me for not knowing."

"Was he there at the party?"

"Apparently, but I didn't know about it."

"Damn," He chuckled as he scratched his head. "There's no need to get worked up over the littlest of things. It sounds like you're on some kind of leash."

"No, no, it's not like that, believe me, I wouldn't be with someone like that."

_Oh, the irony._

I shook off the memories of my past and said, "Believe me, I'd know, I've been with someone like that. But this guy's different. A mystery, yes, but all the more-"

"Interesting?" Tensa piped.

"Yeah," I nodded. "He's very interesting."

"If there's something I know about 'interesting people', it's this: they aren't like regular people, that's a given. Therefore, they don't burn out as quickly and as easily as other people. Like, they'll still catch your eye, even after months of knowing them. If you find out everything at once, there's no fun in it. And that goes for everybody. I figured," He shrugged. "There's a time and place for everything, including what needs to be said. There's no rush, life is still going to be the same the next day, and the day after that, and so on. My point being, maybe it is a good thing interesting people are such mysteries. They'll tell you what needs to be said, all in good time."

"I never thought of it like that before," I remarked, staring down at the dusty road and at the dirt clouds that were being swept up by my sandals. "I always thought it of like they were hiding it, as if it was a major crime or something."

"But don't you have some things you 'hide' from them as well?"

I licked my chapped lips in anxiety. "Yeah, I do."

"Then don't you think they would think the same of you?"

I didn't know what to say. This kid countered and completely crushed my thesis every time, so I gave up, seeing that I was wrong all along.

"But say if they're like, my best friend-"

"Let me ask you this, are you and your best friend close? Now, I don't mean close as in the relationship between two peoples in which you're nice to each other all the time. Because that's not it. I mean, are you close enough with this person that you'd wanna go through hell with them? Do they mean a lot-"

"Yes," I cut him off. "Yes, he does."

I read an interested look on the boy's face, but it didn't stay for long. "Then if he's as close as you say, then there's a reason he's not telling you what needs to be told. Being that he's a guy, _obviously_ he's not going to be as open as a girl. But if you keep pestering him about it, your friendship will only get more and more strained until it comes to the point where you want to rip his balls off. Trust me, as long as you give him his space, he'll tell you his secrets. He just needs time."

"But say _he's _the one mad at _me._"

"And why is that?"

"Because he doesn't like the guy I'm seeing. The 'interesting' guy."

"Why's he playing 'Father'?"

I laughed. "I don't even know."

"I don't know what I can say to help you in that case, Rukia. Sorry. I just wouldn't get involved."

"Eh, it's kinda hard not to when I see my best friend at my work and..." I heard no response and then turned back. "Tensa?"

His icy blue eyes were looking up, but at what I didn't know. I then looked up at what he was staring at, and I could see what had took his breath away.

Above/next to us, there was a skyscraper (compared to the other buildings, excluding the factories) that looked like it was going to collapse any second. It looked like a regular tower, with the exception of a hobble of a house perched on top. Through the windows, I could see sparks of electricity and flickering lights from within. The first couple of floors looked completely deserted, and as further up you got, there was more activity. At the very last floor, where the house was, there was a spread-out platform surrounding the house, like a boardwalk.

Tensa walked up to the entrance and tried opening the door but it was locked.

"That's weird," He muttered as he twisted the knob repeatedly. "Why won't it open?"

"Careful," I warned. "You might-"

"Break, it," The brunette growled as he held up the rusty handle, throwing it over his shoulder before kicking the door. "Open up already!"

"Hold on a _damn _minute!" A voice boomed, making me jump in my skin.

We heard the sounds of chains, but there was nothing around us that was moving. It wasn't until I saw a giant bucket hover over Tensa's head. And I mean, it was _huge_. You could take a bath in it.

"Get in," The eerie voice commanded. I had difficulty getting in, because my dress wouldn't rise, so I had to lift it a bit. Tensa turned his head the other way (what a gentleman) and got in after me. It was rather odd, having to be so close to a person under my circumstances, but I didn't say anything. Soon, the lift rocked back and forth as it was being raised up, but I didn't know how. Sure, the chain that was lifting us seemed sturdy enough, but I wasn't so sure on the ride itself. Soon, we were meters in the air, and I could see some people gawk at us and some even pointing. Once the ride reached the last floor, it was then that I started to feel anxious.

"Come in the house," The speaker said. "And be careful where you step, not all of the boards are as sturdy as they seem. Hate to lose a rare subject like you, Ms. Kuchiki."

"What the hell do you mean 'subject'?"

"Let's just get this over with," Tensa muttered.

"What's your problem?"

"They say this guy's a freak. And I'm starting to believe it. They said he's out of his mind."

"Then we'll just have to be on our guard, won't we?"

Feeling a bit anxious about hanging in the air like that, I got out of the 'elevator' and walked as close to the house as possible, since that's the sturdiest place out of them all. The boy quickly followed and knocked on the door, getting the okay from inside to come in, and in short, the man inside was more fucked up than his house.

Tensa was right; he _was _a freak. He looked like he would dissect any living thing in sight and have fun in doing so. There was white make-up all over his face, and black in the middle of it, excluding his nose. On his ears and chin, there were these weird gold platelet towers or whatever the hell they were sticking out from his face. Freak, indeed.

The door slid shut behind us, making me jump in my skin. I took a look around the abode, and it looked like where Freddy Krueger would slice and dice his victims. It was beyond creepy.

The man with three layers of make-up on his face then snapped his fingers, and emerging from two mechanisms in the ground were two egg-shaped chairs that popped up from behind me and Tensa and they scooped us up, bringing us closer to the mad scientist, with only four or five feet away from him.

"I have a package for you, Mr. Kurotsuchi," I said as I dug into the basket and got out a small wrapped bundle, but before I could hand it over, a long, retractable claw from one of the machines grabbed the item, making my whole body cringe with fear.

"It'll be tested, just in case, you know, if it was a bomb or something. But my, my, aren't you quite the sight to behold. You're quite the looker, aren't you?"

_You creepy pedophile, just give me my damn package so I can get the hell outta here._

"Sir," Tensa spoke up. "We're on a tight schedule, so if you can please hurry it up a bit."

Thank God for Tensa and his fake mannerisms that seemed genuine.

"Don't sass me boy, or I'll stitch your mouth up forever so that you won't even be able to make a single sound with your mouth. Come to think of it, I got some iron string the other day that I've been meaning to try out-"

"Mr. Kurotsuchi!" I growled, but it was more of a sudden impulse rather than a warning.

"You people have no sense of humor," The creepy man sneered. "He's not worthy enough of taking part in one of my experiments anyway."

Me and Tensa looked at each other and just sat there, not knowing what to do. We were afraid that he just _might _stitch our mouths up if we said the wrong thing. Well, at least _I _was.

"Now, onto business," Mayuri tapped his fingers together. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with people fidgeting with their hands, but his fingers were so long and eerie, and he had one _extremely _overgrown nail that would be a perfect example of 'disgusting' if you needed a picture of it. "I'm currently waiting for my daughter, Nemu, to deliver your package up here, so in the meantime, let's pass the time by getting to know watch other, hmmm?" He flashed a full-on grin, baring all of those teeth as those bizarre golden eyes stared at me, not moving a single inch away from my face. It was so weird, but I had to play it off as if this man didn't scare the living shit out of me.

"Let's play 20 Questions then," I offered, making both men raise an eyebrow. "You ask me a question, and I'll ask you one after that."

"And if I refuse to answer a question?"

"Then I guess you're gonna force it out of me," I countered, but once I saw the man cackling, I knew I was probably gambling with my life here. I just wasn't good with words, period.

"Don't worry, I have a couple of tricks or device in here that are capable of such things."

"Me first," I cut him off. "What do you want from me?"

"My, my, whatever do you mean?"

"Can't answer a question with a question. I need a definite answer."

"You're not normal."

I gasped sarcastically. "_Really?_"

"Don't sass me, girl," He growled. "I act on my impulses, so God knows what I just may to do you and your friend here."

This man sure didn't like to be 'sassed', that's for sure. I'll have to make a note of this next time I encounter a psychotic madman.

"But what I meant by 'not normal', I mean," Mayuri paused. "You're not from here, is that right?"

"Yeah, but if you just ound your fancy to people that are foreign, then why don't you interrogate certain people around here that you know are?"

"What?" Tensa looked at me.

Shit, I forgot he was here.

"I'll explain later," I muttered to him, feeling a heavy weight at the bottom of my gut.

"Because I already know everything there is to about them. But not you. You, my dear, are a rare specimen. So, I ask," The scientist leapt out of his seat and to me, mere inches away from my face. "Just _what _are you?"

"W-Well, I-I'm Rukia Kuchiki. I'm a bartender. I'm 21 years old and that's all there is to know about me," I chuckled nervously.

"Don't try to play coy with me, Kuchiki," He hissed, getting some spit on my face, and I gasped in awe, because I was disgusted beyond belief.

I wiped the giant drop of saliva off of my eyelid. "I told you everything about me," I scowled as I felt my top lip instinctively curl. "So leave me the fuck alone!"

_Slap._

I honestly didn't think I had it within myself to slap the shit, or in this case, his makeup, off of his face (not much of a difference, really). When he staggered back, I thought he might've been acting, but he was actually hurt, with a bloody nose and everything. Did I slap or punch this psycho? I don't know, all I know is that I didn't want him touching me.

"Hmmm…supernatural strength when provoked," The man remarked as he got to his feet, wiping the blood from his nose with his sleeve, along with some of his makeup. But I didn't that underneath that caked powder was a tanned man underneath. His gold eyes weren't as creepy, but rather intimidating. But still a creep.

"'Supernatural strength' my ass! I barked. "You just didn't expect someone like me to slap the shit out of you, that's all!"

"…Perhaps, but-"

"Rukia, let's go," Tensa muttered as he locked eyes with the madman, slyly pushing me towards the exit.

"Oh, no ya don't!" The man growled through clenched teeth as he pushed a blue button on the wall, making walls of steel rise up and replace where the exits had been, trapping me and Tensa in. "I'm going to find out just _what _you fucking Kuchiki's are once and for all!" He cackled.

Then, we heard one of the steel doors being knocked over and in place of where it used to be, there was a petite woman wearing a dress far too short for her. She had violet bangs right above her eyes and in the back, the rest of her hair was tied into a single braid. She glanced at Mayuri and then to her, her face unchanging.

"Father, did you forget to take your medicine again?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Nemu, don't you _dare _interfere! Or I'll dissemble you for a week!"

But his threat was no use. Before I could even blink, she sped over to him and had him pinned down in a matter of seconds, and then looked to me with the same, unyielding stare.

"I apologize for my father's behavior. I belive this is for you," The girl gave me a small box that was in her pocket and I put it away in the basket before heading for the exit.

"I guess we'll be on our way. Nice meeting you, Nemu."

She nodded goodbye as me and Tensa speed-walked out of the house and to the lift. On the way down, there was the mist of a strange and eerie silence lingering over us, but I was just fine with that. I was so tired, it was hard to even keep my eyes open. I just wanted to jump in that big, luxurious bed and just sleep the day away.

So, when we got off the elevator, I was just ready to go home. I had enough adventures for one day.

"Hey Tensa?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"How long is it 'til Unohana's?"

"Why, hello, kiddos."

Both of us jumped in our skins at the sudden sound of the woman's voice.

"Haha, oh my, did I scare you two? I apologize," Ms. Unohana bowed her head as she laughed.

"It's fine," I assured her. "But we were just about to go to your house."

"No need. I already brought your parcel with me," She said as she grabbed something from her back and then placed it my hands. It was some kind of thin sword, and a beautiful one at that. It was completely decked out in the purest white. From the hilt, to the ribbon that was tied around it, to the very blade itself, it was just perfection itself.

"This is beautiful," I gaped. "But…why would my grandpa need this?"

"He only asked then I refurnish this. He didn't say the reason or anything else about it. I only did what was asked of me."

"I see," I sigh. One more question to add to my list.

"Goodness, it's almost dark," She looked over at the setting sun behind us. "You should be heading home before it gets late."

"Yeah, I don't want the old man mad at me."

Lie. I _wish _he would even try to raise his voice at me. I know he's older than me, and I respect that, but I won't let him treat me like I'm eight friggin' years old. Nu-uh.

"Goodnight you two," I said as I acknowledged Tensa and Ms. Unohana before waving my goodbye as I went on my way.

I was so tired from one, wearing that kimono (which limited my movement and weighed me down; two, the wooden clogs that were on my soles had now stuck one or two splinters in it; and three, the packages I had to carry all the way _up _the hill. And I actually did rush, because I smelt food. And the good kind too.

But when I arrived, I didn't see the old bat in sight, so I let out a sigh of relief and immediately sat down and put everything I was carrying to the side as I watched the trickling creek across from me—the same one the old man was watching this morning.

I heard the door behind me slide open, and was surprised to see the same maid from this morning.

"Rukia!" She exclaimed. "Let me help you out with that!"

"Thanks," I said, picking up some of the stuff while the girl got the other half and placed it in the living room before heading to my room.

"So, how was it?" She asked with big, eager eyes.

"Whaddaya mean?"

"The town! How'd you like it?"

"Eh," I shrugged as I kicked off my sandals to the side while shrugging the heavy kimono off and slung it on my bed, only having the white, light robe underneath.

"EH?" The girl gasped. "But…why?"

I undid my hair as I turned to look at her. "It was…really sad, honestly. I felt really bad for those people."

"…Why?"

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry," I looked to the ground, feeling like an idiot, remembering what Mr. Kyoraku had told me about Ginrei taking people in. But I tried to act as if I wasn't bothered. "Did you come from that town?"

"I don't think…so. I don't remember all too well about my childhood. But I know I'm from somewhere close to here. I know I'm going to sound crazy, but for some reason, I know my way through these woods like the back of my hand. It feels like I've been here before, but I don't recall being here before prior to Master Ginrei taking me in."

"Nostalgia?" I guessed.

"More like déjà vu. The fact that I can't remember ever being here, yet I know where everything and anything is is….freaky," She shuddered.

"Hey now," I put down the hairclips and accessories before giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Nothing to worry about. There's a bunch of things we can't explain. Just don't think about it too much, that's all."

"But enough about me," The maid hopped on my bed with a goofy grin on her face. "Tell me what the town was like!"

"You're awfully hyped today," I chuckled.

"Can't help it. I love hearing about the town. We barely get any gossip being all the way up here."

"But what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell no one, not even the other maids, " I held up a finger. "Is that understood?"

She nodded slowly and deeply, giving me the 'go' for my story.

And so I told everything that had happened. Everything from my entrance up until my departure; but I excluded what Mr. Kyoraku had told me, and when I had tried to read Tensa's mind because…well…that'd be weird to explain and I didn't trust here with such things. But I did tell some about John and company¸which I could tell intrigued her. But once I told a little bit, I had to explain thigns a bit further, so they'd made sense, so basically, I told her everything since I met John. I even explained a bit of New York, and she looked like she was in 7th Heaven. Either I was an awesome story-teller, or this girl had never heard of a thing called 'media'.

"You're so lucky," She muttered as she deflated her mouth and laid back on the bed.

I looked down at her with a questioning look. "How am _I _lucky?"

The maid sat straight up, giving me that look that read. 'Are you _kid_-_ding_ me?. "New York sounds like a _dream_! You have such an exciting and fun life, and your friends sound so cool! And this John fella," She waved her finger. "I'd keep him. Or at least, stay good friends with him. He seems like one of those people who you can trust your life with. Nel seems okay too, but that's judging from what you've told me."

"I dunno," I shrugged. "Nel was _pretty _mad at me at the party and," I sighed. "I just don't know what to do."

"Did you get a chance to talk to John or Nel after the party?"

"No…"

"Are you going to?"

"I don't know. I really don't. I know I need to talk to them, but I'm just scared of how they'll react, ya know?"

"Oh, believe me, I know that feeling well," The maid said while fidgeting with her long brown hair. "But nothing is really bad as it seems. What's the worst that could possibly happen?"

"Well, they could get extremely pissed at me and forever shun me. Not to mention that John is really close with my boss, so he might try to get me first, so yeah, a lot of things can go wrong."

"Okay, there's that. But do you really think that they would go that fat because of what you did? They don't sound like those kind of people."

She was right—they _weren't _those kind of people. But I couldn't help but fear what would happen if I lost people like that. True, I had only known them for a short time…but they were all I had left. I didn't really have a lot people who I could call my "friends", being that I'm not a social butterfly. It's weird, but when I met John and Nel, I didn't find them disgusting as I did with other people. I wasn't as secluded and introvert as I normally was, which is very rare for me on a first meeting. They are very "interesting" indeed. And I may not know everything about them, but I know enough to say that they're good people.

"You're right," I muttered as I exhaled a deep breath. "They _are _good people. I shouldn't be so nervous and worrying about how they're going to take it. I need to stop being afraid. I'd really like it if they continued to stay my friends after this, but if not, then so be it. But, it's John I'm more worried about. I don't know for certain if he was there or not. I can't be like 'Oh hey, by chance, were you at this party where you saw me dancing with a cute guy?'"

"But you two aren't dating, right?"

"Me and John? No."

"Then what's the problem."

I let out a sigh for the umpteenth time today. I think I broke my record. "I really dunno. I think I need to sleep on it.

"Alright then, I'll let you get your sleep," The maid bid me goodnight before exiting the room.

"Gahh," I groaned as I flopped back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I had no idea what I was going to do, but thinking about it would only stress me out even more,

Shaking it off, I took the time to completely empty my mind of everything that was going on in there as I closed my eyes and just breathed. There was only the little _dum-dum_s of the servants' feet outside my room and once that was gone, there was total silence. No car horns coming from busy streets ten stories below, or nobody yelling and threatening to call the police on somebody. Just a calm and quiet room was where I was.

The last time I was at ease like this was when I was staring up at the night sky through the ceiling window of John's room, with the man himself next to me. Not to mention that the "pillow" I was laying on was toned, tanned, and muscular; and with those two, limber arms wrapped around me, that was all I needed. No blanket or noth…

_My God, what's wrong with me?_

Everything I think about, leads back to him. Whether its how the shade of the flickering candle across from me reminds me of his fiery, but feathery mane, or how the brown of my wooden dresser is the same brown as his deep, chocolate eyes, I just couldn't get him out of my mind.

I was starting to think I actually…_liked_ him.

"Ohmigawd," I gushed as I curled up into a ball and hid my face from the rest of the world, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

_Rukia, you slut, you barely know him, _I thought.

But the real question was...was he or real? Was he just fooling around to play games? But…why me? _Me_, of all people. I'm a reclusive, short, slightly antisocial short-tempered 21-year-old woman who's living off of her brother's income. Who would want someone like that?

So…why was he interested in me in the first place? That is, _if _he is interested. Who was I kidding? Of course he wasn't. I hate to admit it, but he was probably only in it for the sex and was just waiting to see how long it would be until I give it up. But if he was, he could've done a _hell _of a lot better and snagged someone like Orihime. And I _really _hate to admit it, but she has junk going on in the front _and _the back. Shit, thinking about him with that witch together is the _last _thing I need. I couldn't even imagine if they did something like that. She's just so…_evil._

Then, like a miracle saving me from myself, I heard a knock on the paper door.

"Just a minute!" I hollered as I hopped off the bed.

Walking over to the mirror, I made myself somewhat presentable and went over to the door and slid it open. But as I was doing so, I felt the string that was holding my robe together loosen as I stepped on the string that was dragging on the floor. And because of it, my entire robe had fallen off, bearing my cheetah-print bra and matching black thong in front of my visitor's eyes, which just so happened to be Dr. Damir himself.

_Fuck. My. Life.__

* * *

_

A/N: Hey, kiddos. It's been a while. Ik, this one kinda threw y'all off like '...whutt?' but there's a reason for this strange obscurity, I promise(: And if you all can PLEASE HEAR ME OUT AND READ THIS, that'd be just awesome(: :

Okay, so for the maid, I dunno if I should make her Riruka (if you keep up with the manga, she's the girl with the pigtails that's with Ginjou) or just make up a char. FEEDBACK WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY~

P.S. IK, it's shitty quality. I don't edit these. I'm too tired and I have shit to do. kaythanksbai(:


	12. Smoke 'N' Mirrors

I was so embarrassed, my body literally _froze_. I was paralyzed, and my bits were just out in the open, like fruit ready for the picking. I swear, I was like a statue—I was too mortified to even breathe; but then, I heard something I totally wasn't expecting from the doctor.

He was…_laughing_.

"Uh, just what is so funny?" I scowled as I turned around and tied my robe together.

"You are," He said as he got the last of his laughs out. "You honestly don't think that I haven't seen a women's body before? I'm a surgeon, for God's sake."

Part of me just wanted to lash out at him, but somewhere in my brain, there was a teenage me squealing in glee because he called me a 'woman'.

"Why are you here?" I crossed my arms as I leaned against the doorway, analyzing him.

Unlike me, he was dressed in 'normal' clothes: he wore a loose, long-sleeved, sleek royal purple polo with the top two buttons undone and underneath, some straight-leg navy jeans that hugged every limber and supple muscle on his legs. His slightly edgy ebony hair, that was oh-so-naturally-out-of-place yet rugged and sophisticated at the same time.

"I'm the person who agreed to take care of your wounds, free of charge? That ring a bell?"

"Right," I enunciated the last consonant sharply.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to invite me into your room? It'd be a bit too personal if I just barged in."

"You just saw me in my lingerie just a minute ago. I don't think it gets any more personal than that."

"Then don't mind if I do," The doctor nodded as he stepped inside and slid the door shut behind him. There was a bit of an awkward silence between us, but I shrugged it off as I hopped on the bed, hearing the giant, old springs creaking as I bounced on the mattress.

"Alright, now I'm going to have to check your wounds to see if they got infected. Give me your wrists."

I did as was told and gave the raven-haired my hands and he examined them with precision. His thumb moved over the crescent-shaped wounds in both my wrists. They hurt whenever they were touched, but they weren't as bad as yesterday; but once he put some pressure onto them, I yelped and jerked away my hand, clutching it to my breasts.

"Okay, your wrists are still healing. Now, let's see your back."

I blinked twice. "I-I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"I said I need to see your back. For your wounds?"

"Oh, right," I swallowed my anxiety, reminding myself that this man was strictly professional and was only doing his job.

I turned away from him and shrugged one corner of the robe off, but I only heard dead silence. I look at him over my shoulder and gave him a blank stare. "What is it?"

"The wound is much bigger than that. I will have to see your entire back."

Oh, Lord, help me now. I already got enough guilt on my shoulders, please don't let me do something I'll regret with this guy too.

"And how do you figure that's gonna work out?" I asked.

"Just lay down on your stomach and I'll just take a look from there. Problem solved."

"Aren't you a smart ass," I mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I said all you needed to do was just ask," I coyly smiled as I lay down and slipped both arms out of the sleeves and shook them off, folding the arms underneath my chest.

As the doctor slowly pulled down the robe (though not _that _far) to examine my back, I felt the hairs on my skin prick up as his warm, callous hand touched it. I prayed that he wouldn't notice.

"You cold or somethin'?"

Crap.

"Yeah, it's kinda chilly," I nodded. "But how is it? My back, I mean."

"I'll actually need to unhook your bra, since it's in the way and covering a huge chunk of it."

And now, teenage me had passed out from a nosebleed.

"Okay," was all I could mutter, and I had to bite down on my lip while he did so, no joke. "And? What is the doctor's analysis?"

He was quiet for a moment, which made me slightly nervous, but then spoke. "I don't _how _this is possible, but it got worse. Far, _far_, worse. I'll have to put some rubbing alcohol on it and-"

"Oh _hell _no!" I shouted as I pulled my robe over my unhooked bra and sat straight up, gawking at him. "That stuff burns!"

"It's _supposed _to burn. But…" The man chuckled to himself. "You do know I was joking, right?"

It took me a minute to put tow and two and two together, but when I did, I couldn't believe that he had tricked me.

"That is _not _funny," I growled as I pounded his chest with my fists. "That is not funny at _all!_"

"Oh, it was hilarious. Actually, you're just perfect. Everything's healing up just fine, and your wounds are getting better. If anything, you just need some penicillin to treat any infections."

And now, the hare was going to trick the fox into the hunter's lair.

"Do you honestly mean that" I asked, locking my eyes with his Arctic blue ones. "Well, Damir? Is your patient as perfect as you say, or does she need a 'personal' prescription from the doctor himself?"

"If said patient requests it, then I suppose I could squeeze in an up-close and _personal _examination, say, now?" His husky breath trickles on my neck as he slipped an arm around my waist, never taking his eyes off of me.

I giggled as I licked my top lip. "Then what are you waiting for? I'm a patient in need."

"Then I have to give the patient what she wants," The chiseled man grinned mischievously as he leaned in forward to kiss me, but I held up a finger, which was the only thing separating us.

"What's wrong?"

I was having so much fun with this, I knew I'd hang this over his head for _life_.

"You know Damir," I looked down (batting my eyelashes every now and then) and sighed. "This doesn't feel right. We barely know each other, and you're taking care of my brother."

"But this can just be our little secret, Rukia," He whispered heavily into my ear . Damn, he was good.

"No, and not only that," I continued. "But I'm…I'm seeing someone at the moment."

"And where are they now?"

"In New York but-"

"He's a considerable distance away from here, so what's the problem?"

"The problem is that I can't do this."

"And why not, babe?"

_Okay, now he's laying it on a bit thick_.

"Because I," I muttered as my lips were only mere inches away from his ears as I slung an arm around his shoulder, bringing us closer together.

"Tricked ya."

I backed away from the man, and the second I saw his face, I burst out laughing and kicked my legs up with glee, like a child hooting, even when it hurts to do so. I didn't think I could pull the trick off, but the sheer success of it had cracked me up so much, I had to hold my stomach because it hurt so badly. Tears of joy and mirth trickled down the sides of my face as I caught my breath,

"Alright, alright," Damir held both of his hands up. "You got me."

"I swear, I was about to _die _when you said '_Then I have to give the patient what she wants'," _I mocked him, seeing the start of a scowl on his face, but I couldn't help it—it was so funny!"

"Okay, I get it."

"Awh, is someone upset because their little 'pardner' down there got all excited for nothing? Poor bay-beh."

"Rukia, it's not _that _funny."

"No, it's not. It was friggin' hilarious."

"Okay, then I guess I'll just take my leave without telling you the important news I needed to tell you," He chimed as he went for the door.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on," I hopped off the bed and pulled on his sleeve. "I'll stop laughing, I promise."

He turned back and shot me a questioning look. I gave him a dull one in return and he shrugged his shoulders. "Good, because what I'm about to tell you, it's not something to laugh about."

"Is it really that serious?" I piqued.

He nodded solemnly, losing all sense of humor he once had.

"In that case, let's take a walk. The cold air will help clear my mind."

I took the time to get all of my clothing in order before walking out of the room, but right as we're about to head out the door, my maid (there's too many of them, so I'll just refer to her as 'mine') saw us and gaped at me with wide eyes. I quickly sped-walk over to her, making some considerable distance between us and the doctor.

"I know it looks sketchy, bu-"

"Who's that?" The brunette looked over my shoulder and tried to hide the grin that was forming on the corners of her mouth all while giddily waving at him.

"That's the guy that I asked about earlier. But that doesn't matter. We are just going on a walk, and I just need you to keep quiet about this."

"Is he John?" She whispered.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! He's just a…an acquaintance!"

"But why are you leaving? It's cold outside."

"He and I just have some personal matters that need sorting out. But I should be back within half an hour. And if anybody asks, you didn't see anything, got it?"

"But what if som-"

"Got it?" I asked again, getting a hesitant nod from the maid. "Thank you," I said as I walked over to Damir and exited the house.

Oddly enough, there was a stone path that I didn't see before, so we took that road. Judging by the looks of it, it led up a mountain, but it was too dark to see the top of it. I took a look at the man next to me, and it was obvious as day that he didn't want to tell me the bad news, but I didn't rush him. By all means, I would've let him take his time. In fact, I kind of pitied him. Being a doctor, he must've had to do this countless times; and the fact that he's still like this after so many confrontations—it shows that he's a good person and actually cares.

"Dr. Milović," I began, but he held up a hand, cutting me off.

"Please, just call me Damir. We're outside of the hospital room."

"Well, Damir, I wanted to ask you how my brother has been doing."

He was quiet then, sighing as he put a hand through his spiky hair, and it was then that it hit me.

"Oh my God, that's what you had to tell me about, isn't it? What's wrong with him? He didn't die already, did he?"

"No, no, he's in stable condition. But this morning, when I went to go check on him, he had reported severe pains in his chest and shortness of breath. So I took a look at it, and the machine detected something, so I and a couple of doctors went to go take a look at him. He then admitted that he felt as if his back was on fire and he could barely talk at the time. Is this normal with him?"

"Yeah, he'd mention some pains a couple of times, but they would come and go, like a cold."

"Is he diagnosed with anything? Did he go to a doctor for his pains?"

"Why are you asking me this? Why not him?"

"He couldn't speak. He said it hurt to talk."

"Uhm, all I know is that he's diagnosed with asthma. As for his doctor visits, I'm not so sure."

"And have you visited him recently?"

"Yeah, a couple of days ago, but he looked just fine. I thought the only thing wrong with him is that he got shot."

"Well, yes, but that was before he collapsed."

"_What? _When was this?"

"Yesterday."

"Why didn't the damned hospital call me?"

"It said your number was disconnected. We checked what was wrong with him and as luck would have it, he has a heart tumor that has been blocking the airflow to his lungs."

"…I need a moment," I mumbled as I walked to the side of the road and steadied myself against the trunk of a tree.

"Are you okay?" Damir asked as he walked on over, but I shook my head and held my stomach.

"No, I'm not."

"You want me to take you home?"

"N-No, I just need to take all of this in."

"Just say what's on your mind. Rant."

I turned around at him. "You want me to rant? Fine. I'm sick of all of this craziness that doesn't make sense anymore—it's ridiculous! First, my brother got robbed and shot, and now I find out he has a tumor, a day _after _I was actually supposed to know, and who the hell is going to pay for all of this, hmm? Oh, and not to mention that my best friend that has known me my entire life is now pissed at me for seeing or dating or _whatever_ the fuck his problem is about me and this guy, who I don't know _shit _about. And since my luck is just fucking fantastic, he's probably mad at me too, for dancing with this other guy that I met at this party too. And this other woman is too, because she thought that I was flirting with the guy I was dancing with, but now that I think about it, yes, I admit that I flirted! So what? The only reason _why _I was talking to the guy in the first place was because one, the party was full of fucked-up snobs and drunken, horny bastards, and he actually had some sense left in his brain; and two, me and the guy that I'm 'seeing'—I don't know _what _the fuck we are. Whether he just wants to deceive me, fuck me, and then cut me up or whatever his purpose his for talking to me. For all I know, this could just be one giant trick or something. I dunno what to do. But I and that guy didn't even kiss or anything at that lame party because, oh, guess what? There was a human bomb that went off in the kitchen that we were at at that same time. And the only reason why I was at that party in the first place is because this nice girl invited me to go, but she turned out to be a psychotic bitch that tried to _murder _me with a butcher knife and she kept on saying how _I _fucked up her life because I 'stole her man'. First of all, you insane nut, I just met you today, so how exactly did I ruin your life if I don't even know you? And I don't even know your 'man', but seeing what a insane bat you are, I don't blame him for leaving your deranged ass, you reject Barbie. But it's all whatever, since the world is mad at me, and I'm all alone. I was going to tell the guy, the one I'm seeing, about my mini-affair and apologize, but I'm afraid he'll-"

And right then, the doctor did something I would never forget for the rest of my life.

At my emotional climax, the point where I was the most insane, he knelt down and wrapped his arms around me, as the first tear fell. I crumbled like a cookie. As the fifth tear fell, the first sob came out, and the arm that was resting on my back moved its hand up and down in a soothing manner while the other one cradled my head like a newborn. All I wanted to do was just cry, and you bet your money I did just that.

I dug my head into his shoulder and my arms folded up against his torso. I couldn't help but feel that this was strangely familiar, but I shook it off while purging out everything I have been bottling up for the past month.

"I don't know what to do," I sobbed.

"Hey."

I looked up, and one hand held my chin tenderly as a finger wiped away the tears, but they still kept on falling, though their advance had slowed. His hand had stayed on the side of my face as those icy azure eyes looked at me with compassion, but he was distancing himself away from me…why?

"Feel better now?" He asked. I couldn't help but laugh, realizing the things that I had just said. I went with the simple approach and just nodded. "Good, because I'd like to think I helped some. It's a shame if I can't."

"Thanks…for listening. I really appreciate it, Damir."

"Hey now, it's no problem. You just have to tackle the biggest problems first. That way, your sailing will be that much more smooth."

"My biggest problem would probably be confronting my…uh…you know, my-"

"Boy friend?"

"U-Uhm," I stuttered, feeling my cheeks heat up immediately, and I turned away, wiping away that last 'tear' that actually wasn't there.

"Do you not like him like that?" Damir inquired, seriously this time.

"Oh, no, no! I like him…a _lot_, believe me. But I don't know if he is on the same page, much less _chapter _as me. No offense, but it feels kinda awkward telling a guy about my relationship."

"None taken. But as your boy/not boyfriend, don't sweat it. I'm sure that if you two talk it out, you two can work something out."

"Yeah, I hope so. I just miss the people and my friends back in the city, you know? It's hard…having that distance between people. And today, I wished more than ever to go back home. I need New York more than ever."

"So, why don't you just leave?"

A number of reasons popped into my head, but there was one that stood out from the rest, as if it was bolded, underlined, and sparkling.

"I can't…I _won't _leave here…until I finish a promise."

The doctor looked at me for a moment, almost a bit solemnly, and then nodded, accepting what I had said. "And how long do you think that'll be?"

"In all honesty, I have no clue," I shrugged. "The terms of it all are complicated, but I don't think it should last any longer than a week or so," I guessed.

"I see," He mumbled, staring at the ground while scratching the back of his head.

And it was then that it hit me.

The strangest image popped into my head: when the doctor scratched his head, I saw John doing that _exact _same action.

We were at that café, and I had just opened up to him a bit about my past and how I was a streetrat growing up. He asked me how long it had been since I left, and I told him I was 19 when I left that life. John then gave me the option of keeping the life I had, with him and Nel and everybody else, or just go back to the way it was. I didn't know what exactly he meant, but I went with the second choice (though hesitant) and then, he picked me up and hugged me, as if he hadn't seen me in an eternity and a half. It was almost as if I had selected the other one, I'd never see him again. Backing away, not realizing that he had gotten carried away (although I wasn't complaining), he was like a boy, blushing and staring off elsewhere. He scratched the back of his head, adverting his eyes to the ground—just like the doctor. Just thinking about John made me a bit empty on the inside, and dare I say, a tad depressed.

"I remember," I said, grabbing Damir's attention. "A couple of weeks after Matthew, my brother, had found me, I was so rigid and uncivilized, I thought that he'd kick me out for sure. In fact, that was my goal—to drive him to that point where he would loathe me so much, he couldn't stand it. I was about as cultured as an ape. But Byakuya didn't give up on me, like the rest of the world.

I remember, it was exactly one month since he had took me in," I paused, closing my eyes as I recalled the memory with the cold winter air kissing my skin. "January 7th, 2001. For the first time ever, I woke up, in a completely empty house. I panicked, thinking that he had just gone and abandoned me, as if I was an orphan all over again. I was furious. I was so hateful. I was so malicious; I just wanted to break everything in my path, as if I was some kind of monster of some sort.

And that's exactly what I did. The savage in me came out, and I was on a rampage. I went straight to his room and knocked over each and every little thing in sight and tore it in half. It was hard to find something that _wasn't _in one piece. And then, I came across this picture: it was taken in the spring time and it showed Byakuya and this woman smiling and laughing and they looked so…happy, it made me spit up my own envy.

'Why couldn't I live a normal life like them?' I thought. Enraged, I threw it on the ground and stomped the glass into a million little pieces. But in my rage, I didn't see the man that was standing in the doorway. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that I stopped and stared at him, with a gaping mouth and wide eyes.

Embarrassment. Humiliation. Guilt. I felt all of these in an instant as I looked up at him. He walked on over and I was sure he was going to beat my ass to a pulp; but instead , he just bent down and picked up the broken frame and stared at it for a moment.

'Sorry I missed you, I had some business to attend to," he said. I was skeptic, so I asked him what exactly he was doing. He set the picture down on the desk, with some shards of glass falling out and then asked me, 'You really wanna know?'

I nodded.

He pointed to the woman in the picture and said, "Today, I went to go visit her. Do you know who that is?"

I shook my head.

'Meet your sister, Hisana. She died two years ago. Today's the day she died, and I went to go pay my respects'," I swallowed as tears started to form again, and once I began, I choked.

"This had hit me like a hurricane. Was I really so blind and so selfish? I was at a loss for words—I didn't know what to do nor say. I looked at the picture and studied at the woman for a sec before looking back at my brother.

He then said, 'You know, it isn't the fact that whether or not someone's dead or alive that hurts people, but the distance between them instead. When you're with them, you really don't think twice about when they leave. But when they do, it hurts. And knowing the fact that the distance between you and that person is always going to be there, it's almost as if a part of you has been cut out, but there's nothing you can do except to move on'

What Byakuya told me that day, I haven't forgotten, even to this day. So, I promise, I won't be gone long. Long enough so that you'll miss me, but not so long that you'll forget about me. We'll meet again, I promise."

"You really set on staying here?" Damir looked at me for approval, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I have some stuff to settle here. But as soon as I go back to New York, I'll be sure to pay you a visit," I assured him with a smile.

"Then let me give you something before I go," The doctor muttered as he pulled me right next to him, hand 'round my waits and his fierce eyes locked on mine. His hands moved up my back as the gap between our lips shrunk, but right as he placed his lips over mine, I froze, making him stop in return. He backed away slightly, and his mouth was now hovering over my forehead and we just stood like that for a moment.

I sighed as I placed both hands on his torso and stared down at the ground. "I'm sorry, I just can't do this."

But it seemed that he wanted me to look at him, seeing as how he lifted my chin, getting the eye contact I was hesitant to give.

"You avoiding me on purpose or are you staying loyal to your boy?" The raven-haired man cocked an eyebrow.

I laughed. "A bit of both. Forgive me?"

"Hmm…no," He growled as he gave me a tight hug, holding onto me a bit longer than needed, but hey, I liked hugs.

"I'll visit you, I promise."

"You better. I'm sure your brother is concerned, being that he hasn't seen you in awhile."

"Don't you worry, I'll be back before you even know it. It'll be so quick, it's as though I had never left New York in the first place."

Or so I had thought.

"Well, in order for you to do that, don't you think I should walk you home? It's getting late and you might catch a cold an-"

"I'm a big girl, Damir. I can take care of myself. Besides, I kinda want to be by myself right now and think some things over. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. But don't stay out too long, or you might collapse from hypothermia like you did last night."

"Yes, father," I said mockingly as I bid him goodnight. "I'll see you in the morn' then."

"Alright, see you later, Rukia."

And with that, we parted our ways. I realized then that me and the man had walked a considerable distance, and the same hill from before was closer now. Perhaps this was the hill that Kyoraku was talking about? Either way, the stone road I was on looked like it led to it and I walked this far, I might as well finish this path.

Along the way, I took note of how serene my surroundings were. Every now and then, there would be a streetlamp illuminating the road with warm, yellowish glow, and the maple and seasonal trees to the side were down to their last couple of leaves. Not to mention that the moon was out tonight, and there was a fiery orange tint to it that made you want to stare at it all night. I know I could. It was beautiful beyond words. This was the perfect setting for a "romantic evening". Too bad I ruined that, _twice_, with the doctor. But I had a reason behind it. And a good one too.

Looking up at the knoll, I knew I had a ways to go before I reached the top. I took a breather on one of the trees nearby. I put up my long hair, along with my bangs, into a messy ponytail because it was starting to be a bother as of late. I had even thought of cutting it. It was 3/4ths of the way down my elbow and it was a pain to style. It was gorgeous, but a pain nonetheless.

If you're a girl, you know that we constantly re-do things over and over again, and I just wasn't satisfied with how it was put up, so I gave up and let it down, fidgeting with its ends.

And then, I heard a sound that made my entire body lock up with fright. It was some kind of guttural cry mixed with agony and animalism, followed by growls, snarls, and the same rustling in the bushes as before. I knew I had to get out of there before whatever the hell was behind those bushes got to me first, but my body wouldn't move.

"_I'm gonna getcha," _A voice said, but I didn't know if the _thing _was human or beast. It sounded like a monster, but thought like a human.

_Oh no, the fuck you aren't, _I thought and immediately jetted out of there like when a white man finds out he knocked a girl up. I took off and ran like a bat out of hell, but that _thing _had taken chase. With each step I ran, the beast's paws/claws would increase by double, and eventually it caught up with me as I felt talons shear into my backside, making me fall. There was no use in crying in anguish, since there was no one to hear my cry, so I just swallowed my pain instead. I wish it was easier said than done, because it hurt like a thousand stinging hells.

_"Heh, you'll make a nice midnight snack."_

I lifted my head up from the cold pavement and saw the behemoth right on top of me, nearly making me puke. It was a cannibal…or it at least _looked _like a human, but its gigantic claws and the disgusting tail that jutted out from its spine waned back and forth like a curious cat's. On the pale, almost translucent skin, there were these disgusting open sores and warts all over his body. How did I know it was a he? He was butt-naked, genitals and all.

But it was probably the look in his eyes that scared me the most. It was far from human. Actually, it leaned a bit more towards 'hell-bent' on the 'Just How Insane Are You?' detector. His eyes were pitch-black, like a Martian, and there were trails of dried blood still on his mouth.

_"Oh, just you wait, my dear. I'm going to gauge out your eyes so you can't see the pain that I'm going to do to you. I'm going to rip out your tongue so you can't taste anything. I'm going to screw you a hundred ways 'til Sunday, and at the end, you'll be left without a head."_

"You creep!" I shrieked as I kicked him in the face, getting a violent, and not-so-happy growl in response. But then I realized, how could he talk and not talk at the same time? I don't think he was faking—this was just too bizarre for that to be happening. However, that wasn't on my mind. At the time, I was trying to _live_. The beastly man licked his lips, revealing saber-toothed incisors, which looked like they wanted to rip some flesh _really _badly.

I gulped my anxiety and accepted my fate of being devoured, then raped (seeing as how his little buddy was "eager" to go) by a cannibal. I was going to die a lovely death. I braced myself for the inevitable and screwed my eyes shut as my entire body tensed up with fear.

_"What have I become?"_

What had happened then, I would have _never _seen coming in my entire life, much less my wildest dreams. It was so out of this world, I didn't believe it myself. But that was before I saw silver talons through the cannibal's chest. It croaked, and a waterfall of black gunk poured out of its mouth and onto me, making me scream in disgust. I looked at the corpse's eyes, and noticed that they were no longer black, and had reverted back to normal, which were white sclera with blue irises. The beast/human's body was then lifted up and thrown to one side of the woods as the claw shook it off, hearing the crash of the corpse break several trees. I gawked at the creature in front of me and I didn't know whether to be scared, or just simply amazed.

Standing there, right in front of my very eyes, was an ivory-scaled, ebony-maned _dragon_. A dragon, of all things! It was beyond _beautiful_, but I knew I probably looked like an idiot staring at it. Its body was more similar to a ferret's rather than a dragon's: it had no wings, and it had a long, slim body, but it had a mane trailing down its legs and lean arms and legs. It's deep, indigo eyes studied my closely for a second. But if this thing killed _that _thing, then it only meant one thing.

"Holy crap!" I shrieked, backing away from it as I got to my feet. But when I tried to runaway, the wyvern simply leapt over my head and blocked my path. I tried running the over way, but his long tailed curved around me, leaving me no exits.

"What do you want from me?" I yelled. "If you want to eat me, fine, just make it quick. And just so you-"

It growled, almost as if to tell me to shut the hell up. And I did just that.

The beast walked over to me and was literally a _foot _away from me. It was so close, I could see the rainbowy misty glare on each of its scales and the dark hues of the black and indigo in its mane. Everything about this creature was just majestic, I couldn't believe it was standing there, right in front of me. And then, even more craziness ensued.

As if things couldn't get any more weirder, the stupid necklace started glowing and floated up, and I immediately tucked it under my robe; but when I thought about it, I had no reason to hide it, in front of a mythological deity of all audiences. It was surreal, the dragon was surreal, and I was just plain weird.

I let it out and the dragon looked at the pendant with interest in his big, crystal eyes. I looked at it and lifted it closer to the creature's eye level so that it could see it.

"I know, it's an odd little trinket," I remarked as I looked into the swirls of sand and dust inside the shard. "But then again, I guess I'm an odd one myself."

It only stared at me for a moment, making me feel a bit dumbfounded.

"What?" I asked.

It gazed at me still, and then closed its eyes for a moment before snorting its nostrils. And then he (I'm going to assume it's a "he") just laid down, in the middle of a stone path and blocked my way. What possessed it to do such a thing, I didn't know, but I wasn't going to spend all night figuring it out.

"Excuse me," I muttered as I swung one leg over the beast's body, but when I tried to get the other one over, it then stood up on all fours and I had to grab its mane so I wouldn't fall off. Suddenly, _huge _gusts of wind started swirling around us, like we were in a mini-tornado. I shimmied right behind its head and clung onto its horns as the winds around us started getting faster and more powerful by the second until the dragon literally _leapt _off the ground and was gliding 1000 meters above the land. I had my eyes closed and was screaming the entire time. That is, until a fluff of fur flew into my mouth and made me gag.

But when I opened my eyes, it was un-believable. I was in the air, flying hundreds and hundreds of feet up in the air…on a _dragon. _If someone slipped something into my drink, I want to know just exactly _what _that is, because you never know when a good hallucination will come in handy. But the _last _thing I need to do is completely fucked up.

Everything was just…breath-taking. The mountains, the trees every single inch of the ground beneath us. I would've held my arms out to feel the wind of my skin, but…now that I thought about it, why the heck not?

Swallowing the chunk of fear that was wedged in my throat and slowly closed my eyes as I extended my arms out, elbows first, and then hands, and let go. I felt like that lady off of _Titanic _when she was at the edge of the liner, but instead of a gigantic ship, I had me a dragon. Take that, Kate Winslet.

I felt like I was on top of the world. No, not even that. I felt as if today was my last day, and I was living life to its fullest. All of my worries and stress—they were all back down on Earth. I was up with the moon and stars, smiling and laughing my days away.

And then, we came across something peculiar: on top of the hill, I saw its entire surface blanketed in this _thick _haze, and you couldn't see anything but the tops of rocks and rubble from this distance. But when the dragon started to descend, I then realized we were going down _there, _but why? What was so significant about the place that appealed to the creature? Either way, I was going to find out, whether I liked it or not.

The ivory reptile landed right in front of the gates, prompting me to get off. However, there was one problem—I couldn't. I was literally _paralyzed _with fear. I looked straight ahead and the gate…was that of a graveyard's. It looked like Death's home itself. Everything was so gloomy, so lugubrious, and so…_dead. _Although I couldn't see much from the entrance, I got that whole "eerie" vibe by just being there.

"Why are we here?" I looked up at the dragon as I got off, who simply turned his head in the direction of the gate and walked towards it.

However, I was too chicken to follow, much less walk, so when the creature noticed that I wasn't beside him, he wasn't amused. It only let out a warning growl and wrinkled its beige nose before strolling on into the yard, leaving me behind. I didn't like either idea, but I figured that being with a supernatural (but dangerous) beast is better than being in the woods alone where another cannibeast might attack me again.

I heard the ebony iron doors creak open, and turned around to see the creature push it all the way open with its silver claw. Though hesitant, I followed anyway and was slightly amused to see its tail swish back and forth like a curious cat. Strange, but cute.

As we walked, the fog had started to lessen with time, but I was still careful to watch my step. From what I could tell, the small rubble of grey that I had seen from the aerial view were actually gravestones, which caused an involuntary shudder out of me. Thing started to become more and more clear, and the place wasn't as bad as I originally thought. In a sense, it was peaceful. No life, just the crickets chirping and the occasional wind blowing through the trees' branches.

And then, I came across something peculiar. There was this strange mass of _something _entirely wrapped in ivy at the base of a bare tree. Piqued, I walked over to it and knelt down to get a closer look. I analyzed it and peered on all sides, seeing that it had a square-ish frame, but I still couldn't figure out what the heck it was. I couldn't see anything just by staring at it, so I ripped off the vines, but it took me a bit of time because the vines were really thick. I felt the eyes of the beast on me, but I kept on tearing the plants down, regardless if he thought I was some kind of crazie. But to my surprise, it was actually right beside me, helping me cut the flora. It didn't take long for the vines to be torn off with razor-sharp claws. And when it was all said and done, I was piqued by the little statue in front of me.

It was a simple dollhouse, a bit larger than usual (obviously) and it even had an adorable petite chimney and windows and all that jazz. Everything was sculpted to perfections, including all of the cute little details a dollhouse had. From the wood outside of the house to the small patches of grass on its front lawn, it was_ exactly _like a dollhouse; and on the door, instead of a regular ol' number or knocker like most would have, this one had a _heart _on it. In fact, there was another heart on the doorstep too, but then I noticed something on the heart. I bent down to take a closer look at it and realized it was actually an inscription, which meant that the dollhouse was actually a tombstone.

_She touched everyone a love so tender, it was believed that she was not human, but an angel instead._

_It would only take a smile of hers to bring joy and happiness on peoples' faces._

_Although departed, but always in our hearts, is Riruka Dokugamine._

"Riruka," I muttered to myself, hearing the name out loud as I stared at the grave. "It's a pretty name. Must've been used for a pretty girl."

I guess I got all caught up in the moment that I didn't realize I had that single tear in my eye. Wiping it off, I swallowed my anxiety and gave a quick moment of silence before getting up from the ground. I stared at it for a second and thought to myself who this girl really was or what she looked like or even how she liked her eggs, but this only made me slightly depressed. But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something awfully "unique" (other than its appearance) about this grave. It wasn't about the fact of whether it was peculiar or not that caught my eye. Unlike the others, it just didn't feel like a headstone. It's almost as if this "Riruka" didn't die. I know I sound crazy, but there was something telling me that this girl wasn't dead _dead, _yet here I was, staring at her grave.

With a quick snort and a shake of its head, the dragon went on its way, and I followed it, even though I had no idea where it was going. In reality, I was more concerned with who or even _what _would jump out me rather than where we were headed. Hey, you can't blame me. How would you feel if some kind of demonic cannibal jumped at you and was trying to kill you and rape you on the spot, and next thing you know, a mythical creature kills it inches away from your face? Yeah, you'd be paranoid too, buddy.

Over time, I had started to calm down and slowly take all of this in, bit by bit. I mean, sure, it's hard, but what's the point in denying what's in front of your own eyes? And for some inexplicable reason, it seemed as if the beast was on edge and was really nervous about something, which made _me _nervous. If that guy was worried about something, then I should be worrying too. What could be so bad that made him so anxious?

And then, it stopped. At the crest of the hill, at the very top, the dragon just went completely stationary. Hesitant, I walked over to it and shot a curious look. When it saw me, it was almost as if he snapped out of a trance of some sort. I think my eyes were trying to fool me, but he almost looked…_sad, _but I didn't know why. Was there someone dear to him here?

"Why did you take me here?" I asked, clearing my throat to get his attention. It was even quiet then, letting out a sigh through its nostrils as it continued to walk off, yet again.

"Hey!" I cried. "I'm talking to you!"

But that didn't stop its course one bit.

"Don't you walk away from me! I'm talking you, dammit!"

_"Shut the hell up."_

"Why, I never!" I gasped. "If you're gonna tell me to shut up, at least have the balls to say it to my face!"

He froze in his tracks, and then, ever so slightly, turned his head in my direction, eyes full of shock. _"You…can hear my thoughts?"_

"May~be."

_"But how? And why didn't you say anything earlier?" _It blinked twice.

I shrugged. "I dunno. It all just happened one day, and I have no idea how the whole she-bang works. And I didn't even knew you had thoughts for that matter. Well, at least the human kind. Speaking of which, just _what _are you?" I raised my eyebrows.

_"I am Kyuuaba, and I patrol this area for any supernatural occurrences conflicting humans, like your little confrontation with that Souless earlier. If I had been a second late, you would've been dead."_

"Well, I should thank my lucky stars that a _dragon_, of all things to save me, came to my rescue," I scoffed.

_"You should grateful that I didn't let that beast kill you! Where's your respect?"_

"Out the window, just like my sanity right now."

_"Regardless of whether you want to believe me or not, _this _is real. You may be thinking that this is just a bizarre dream, and that's fine, but you won't get anywhere by thinking all the complications in life are just nightmares. If you want answers, you're going to have to find them yourself."_

I froze. "Are you here because of that?"

_"Perhaps," _It whipped its tail to one side, its edge slyly curving. _"Or maybe I'm just your conscious telling you to do something about it. Either way, dream or no dream, there's something I need you for to see," _Kyuuaba strolled to the massive willow in the center of the crest of the hill and into the doorway of hanging branches. They were so thick, I couldn't see him inside. I was quick to follow, but I wasn't as smooth nor graceful as the creature, so I had a bit of trouble entering; but when I did, I was mystified.

There was an entire myriad of butterflies with tails clinging on to the tree and flapping their wings, and they were like the tree's own light inside. When I walked in, there were a couple flying about, and one even flew right in front of my eyes. It showed every single color in the spectrum reflect on their wings, and I had to see it up close to realize their "tails" were actually just rods flowing from the ends of their wings. The one that had fluttered by was a black Swallowtail with a crimson ribbon on the edge of its flaps, with a bit of violet shining on the front. And in the centre of all of this, was the actual tree itself that cloaked this entire beauty from the outside world. There was Jasmine adorned all over, around, and even through the tree. I didn't know how a flower could overtake a willow, but it was possible, apparently. Kyuuaba walked on over to the trunk and stared intently at the heart of it. I was curious too, so I went to go see what he was staring at.

"What are we staring at?" I asked.

_"There's something written in the tree, but I can't read it. Do you mind?"_

"Sure thing," I nodded as I hopped over the tree's massive roots and approached the inscription. Interestingly enough the "text" that he was referring to was actually a craving inside the heart of the tree. I moved a couple of the hanging weeds out of my way, needing to squint at the tiny craving in the wood.

"And so the Princess tamed the beast. The beast of sheer chaos, destruction, and evil. With each step she took, a jasmine—the flower of elegance—grew in its place. With each laugh that came out of her mouth, a smile would be born. With each kiss she threw out to her people, one less heart would be broken. Our lady was our sun, shining down on us with her glorious rays which gave us life. And now she's been robbed of her life, we are no long alive. We seek death, since we have no reason to live anymore, but we're immune to the Reaper's scythe. Why her, not we?"

I paused, taking a sec to catch my breath. "Mournings of the Rukons. Is this some kind of poem?" I look back over my shoulder at the dragon.

"_I suppose. Does it say anything else?"_

"Oh yeah," I looked back at the tree. "Here lies Hisa…"

"…_Hisa…what? Is that all?"_

I gulped down my anxiety, but my bones still shook like an earthquake. My mouth instantly dropped and I was just staring at the carved name with eyes wide open. All control I had in my legs had gone _kaput _and I fell to my knees, in utter shock. My hands were the only things holding me up, and for the first time in a long time, I breathed.

"_What is it?" _The beast walked towards me with caution. _"What's wrong?"_

"What's wrong?" I laughed, and with each one, I got more and more insane by the millisecond. "What's wrong? What's wrong_? What's wrong?,_ he asks. I'll tell ya what's wrong, buddy boy," I got up and looked him dead in the eye, swinging a finger to the wood. "I'm at my dead sister's fucking grave, that's what's wrong! But," I chuckled, getting out a couple more howls of mirth. "You knew all along. That's why you didn't answer my question. That's why you were nervous on the way up here. And you wanna know what else I 'found the answer to'?"

My shit luck just had to top it off by having the necklace start acting up again, and that was the last straw.

I grabbed it by the stone and yanked it off, hearing the chain break, and threw it into the ground in rage.

"That's _it! _I've had _enough _of this fantasy and dream shit! I sick and tired of nothing making any sense anymore! I'm done with it! I'm done with you, this stupid necklace, and this stupid dream! Can't I have a normal life?"

"_But I-"_

"JUST GET OUT OF MY LIFE!" I half-shrieked and half-sobbed. All in hysteria, of course.

The dragon stared at me for a moment before turning to exit the tree. An exasperated sigh escaped from my nostrils, and I crossed my arms with an almost silent 'hmph' as I turned my back towards Kyuuaba. But when I heard the sounds of ferocious winds and gusts beating up the silent air, I was alarmed, but paid it no mind.

However, it went on for some time. _Then, _I got a bit suspicious; but by the time that I climbed out of the jungle of plants, the commotion had died and left. Not a hair nor scale was left of the dragon. It wasn't until I saw the giant snake-ish shadow on the ground that I looked up at the sky and saw the creature, and realized he had abandoned me.

"Hey!" I cried. "You can't leave me here! How am I going to get back home?"

But it was no use—it had gone and left, stranding me in the middle of nowhere. This was just _great._

At that moment, there was a crackling sound, like glass breaking and moving, and my ears twitched (you know how they do that sometimes) in its direction. I was curious, yet ready, just waiting to see what _else _could possibly top a dragon in a contest of the supernatural.

It came from inside the willow, and at the bottom (because the branches were so long, they were only an inch or so from the ground), there was this weird, pale light radiating from it. I treaded warily to the tree and moved pieces of flora out of my way gradually, in case whatever was inside would attack.

With the first string I moved, my entire body flinched the second I touched it, because it fell. I was paranoid that whatever was in there, it'd jump out at me with claws and fangs galore.

One minute…nothing.

Two minutes…nothing.

Ten minutes…nothing.

All the time, I kept thinking, _'Okay, it's gonna get me…_now. _Okay, maybe now….now? Maybe now.' _And so on and so forth.

So, after whatever amount of time that I spent waiting for nothing, I was pretty much convinced that whatever was in there was at least asleep.

I proceeded with care and sneaked carefully into the willow, a bit careful about confronting _it. _Letting out and a quick and silent sigh, I cast away my apprehension and just charged in there like a bull gone wild—but I stopped immediately the second I saw a sharp edge catch the edge of my robe, nearly stabbing me.

In front of me was a flower where I had thrown the flower. Only thing was, this was no ordinary flower. This one was made of _ice. _Yeah, you heard me. Like the ice they use for wedding décor. Its was a little bit over my boobs (in terms of height) and inside the tundra petals that spread out like a pad, there were layers and layers of even _more _petals, like a lotus. And in the middle of all of it, was the necklace I had broken and thrown away.

I looked around and noticed then that the entire inside of the willow looked like a frozen forest. It was hard to believe that everything was normal just five minutes ago. Even the butterflies had been frozen, some in mid-flight. Poor butterflies. And it was all connected back to the four foot flower that stood in the middle of it all. String-like ribbons of ice coupled everything—from the insects to the branches, to the start of the flower's roots to its sepals. Only reason why I didn't notice it was because most of them were hidden _all _the way above me.

Carefully, I maneuvered my hand around the jagged edges and successfully retrieve the pendant. When I got it, I couldn't believe it—it wasn't broken anymore. In fact, in the same place where the chain had broke, the two chains had been molded together. It was still big, so I put it over my head, still wearable, no problem. The problem was _how _it got fixes and just where the heck this ice flower came from.

I had enough for one day, so I decided to I just needed some shuteye and everything would just poof away. I just wanted to go home. I tried backtracking where I cam from, but then I remembered I had "flown" to the graveyard, so my only option was to just follow my instincts.

Finding my way to the gate, I began walking down the stone path, which looked a lot like the one that led from the house, so I figured I must be heading in the right direction.

Along the way, I heard some strange rustling (déjà vu, perhaps?) in the trees nearby, but they weren't like before. They were much more quick and nimble, and they had a bit of silence in between their intervals. I turned around and saw a body running through the trees and took chase, thinking that maybe they could have some answers on how to get back home. Luckily, I was a good runner, so it didn't take long for me to catch up with the person; but they kept on running. And swerving. And turning, and it all made my head spin.

By now, we had been running for at least a couple of minutes, and we had started to slow, but the chase didn't end. That is, until the person suddenly turned around.

"Will you quit it?" She yelled in my face, with her wheat and beige rabbit ears standing erect a foot above her ears. Looks like I found a ringer to top a dragon—a talking rabbit humanoid. She had a human body and platinum blonde hair, with the exception of buck teeth, extremely long hands and fur ears. I wondered if she had a white cotton tail too.

"What?" I asked, blinking twice

"Is there something wrong with you or you just like stalking people for fun? Good God, what if I feel and hurt myself because I thought you were some serial killer? Yeah, you'd feel real bad, wouldn't you, knowing you did someone wrong. Jeez, what if I choked on air? I don't have anyone to save my life, and for all I know, there could be some hungry werewolves lurking around. You should be ashamed of yourself!" She shook her finger at me.

I put both hands up in protest. "I didn't do anythin-"

"You scared the Bejeebus outta me, that's what you done did! Stalking someone for your sick amusement—you're crazy! What if I creeped on you, all eerie and whatnot, hmm? Unless you gotta problem with me. Then we can settle it, rabbit to human. Just lemme file my teeth and nails and I'll be ready to go like Ali, floating like a bee."

"Uh, lady," I hesitated, not knowing how to approach her since it seemed like everything I said just backfired. "I wasn't stalking you. I was trying to ask you a question, but you kept on running. That's why I chased after you. I don't want to fight or anything, I just want to go home."

"OH! Why didn't you just holler?" The rabbit adjusted the tan cloth that was covering up her boobs and tightened the strings around her skirt. It was funny, but although she was part rabbit, she acted 100% human. Or more appropriately, a girl. "It would have saved us both the trouble of getting worked up for nothing."

Speak for yourself.

"I just need directions on how o get home. It's the _only _home-a _human _home—out there. Have you seen it?"

"Hmm…nope. But ooh, pretty necklace!" The critter awed at the jewel. "Hey, this looks really familiar. Where'd you get this?"

"A friend," I answered simply.

"You…didn't happen to pick it up somewhere?" She looked at me skeptically.

"No. Honestly, a friend of mine gave it to me."

"Uh-huh. Kiddo, lemme ask you something: do you even know what that stone's made of?"

"Blue topaz?" I guessed.

"Okay, sure, let's go with that. Say this topaz was extremely rare. Like, there's only one. Obviously, there's going to be a high demand for it. But with a thing being so popular, you're think that there'd be someone or something guarding it, right?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "But where are you going with this?"

"Hold on, I'm not done," The blonde held up a finger. "So what I can't see is how you got your hands on such an item."

"For the last time, my friend-"

"Gave it to you, I heard you just fine," She groaned. "But I don't think you're telling me the whole truth."

"Even if I wasn't, why should I tell you anyway? I don't even know who or even _what _you are, for crying out loud! And just why is this stone so damn special anyway?" I hissed as I held up the necklace, seeing immediate change on her face.

"You mean…you don't know anything about it?"

"No…should I?"

"Well," She laughed as she got something out of the pouch that was slung across her hip and toyed with it. "You're gonna find all about it, sooner or later."

"Wait, what do you mea-"

"Toodles!" She grinned as she threw down the bag, making a whole storm of purple powder to cloud everything in sight. I tried to keep my eyes open, but I could feel myself slowly succumbing to slumber. I looked around and saw that the she-rabbit had already fled, leaving me to choke and heave to my death in this violet haze. Eventually, I had gotten so drowsy, everything in my body had just shut down on me until I was simply lying on the ground, with my eyes slowly closing until all I saw was black.

_So then, was it all a dream?_

I was in a sea of comfort and heat as I creaked my eyes open, seeing yellow all over.

_Too damn bright_, I thought as I rolled over, away from the glowing ball of fire that was preventing my sleep. I wiggled around for a bit before closing my eyes and breathed calmly. Sleeping, take 2. Only thing is, I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep once I heard the sound of dishes breaking, followed by a fit of yelling from a bitch in the house. What a peaceful morning this was.

And then, I heard two taps on my paper door. "Rukia? Are you awake?"

I yawned, answering the maid's question. She slid the door open and then back again, and I stared at her lazily, since I was half-awake. The girl stared at me with huge eyes, and then out of nowhere, she hugs me, as if I'd been gone on some dangerous journey or sorts.

Oh, wait, does almost getting killed by a cannibeast not count?

"I know I'm not as "focused" as I usually am, since I just woke up," I mumbled as I sat up, staring blankly at the brunette who hopped on my bed with her two long brown pigtails and bangs. "But did I miss something?"

"You idiot!" She growled, grabbing one of my pillows and then swinging it at me, nearly making me fall over the edge of my bed. "You had me worried sick last night! You said you were only going to be out for 30 minutes, but _no, _somebody just _had _to stay out late and make me worry! Oh my God, Ginrei was _furious _when the doctor came back with you. He nearly-"

"Wait," I cut her off. "I cam home with Damir?"

"Oh, so now you two are on a first-name basis? Okay, I see what you two are _really _doing now."

"_What _are you talking about? Do you think…do you think that me and him hooked up out there?"

"…Didn't you?" The brunette titled her head to the side, like a confused puppy.

"God no!" Especially with him, of all people! He's my brother's doctor! And that's just _disgusting. _That, plus I was freezing my ass off outside."

"Then it's no wonder you passed out last night, dressed the way you did."

"I passed out? From what?"

"Hypothermia. The doctor said he would force you to bundle up next time, but he left that to us, since he's gone,"

"He's gone?" I asked.

"Yeah, he left this morning. He waited for you to wake up, but you were _knocked out. _But seriously," The brunette laid on her tummy, staring up at me intently. "What's going on between you two? I know there's _something _going on. _You _may not know it, but he's carrying a big one for you."

"Nu-uh," I gaped with disbelief.

"Uh-huh," The girl nodded with a huge grin on her face. "It was so obvious. I'm surprised that Master Ginrei didn't say anything to him about it."

"So, he went back to New York?"

"Yeah. He said that he wants you to come and visit him as soon as you come back, but…"The maid stared at the ground, tapping her indexes together in nervousness, hesitating to say what was on her mind.

"But what?"

"But…do you _have _to go?" She whined. "Your coming here is the most funnest and interesting thing that's happened here in a long time. It'd be all boring and stuff again if you left. A-And I still want to learn more about New York!"

"Awh," I leaned over and gave her a hug of comfort. "Don't you worry—I'll tell you everything there is to New York. And truth be told, I have _no _idea when I'm going home. The conditions of it all depend on the Old Man, so let's just enjoy it while it lasts, hmm?" I ruffled her hair.

She scowled at me, but then that turned into a somewhat satisfied/neutral grin. I was guessing she wasn't one for showing people how she really felt.

"Then I guess we will. But before that, I have so many places for you to check out over _here! _I asked the Master if I could show you around and he said yes! Can you believe it? I haven't been outside the house in _years, _and now to hear this," The girl laid back on the bed again, kicking her legs up and down in glee and squealed. "Oh my God, I'm _so _excited! Hey, can we go to the town? I wanna go visit the town, and the orchard, and _all _of the other places!"

"Oui, oui, we shall visit them all! I'd like to see the town at least one more time before leaving. And call me crazy, but I think you changed," I remarked, seeing a slightly cautious expression on the maid's face.

"Changed how, exactly?"

"Like, when I first got here, you were all quiet and shy, and now, it's like a complete 180. You're over here squealing and laughing, and actually calling me by my _first _name-"

"Oh!" She gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot! I was just so happy, I forgot my duties!"

"Screw your duties," I waved my hand. "You're much more fun like this."

"Well," The maid cleared her throat, and tried to hide the smile that was tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I better go get your breakfast ready and _then," _She said as she pointed a finger to me before exiting my room. "You will have to tell me what happened between you and Dr. McDreamy last night."

"Wait!" I shouted, and she immediately opened the door again, looking at me with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"Si?" Her pigtails swished as she poked her head back in.

"Riruka Dokugamine," I said. "That's the name I picked out." There was such a sudden silence, I kinda felt like an idiot for just randomly blurting out a name out loud. "But, ya know, it you don't like it, it can always be changed-"

"No, no," She sniffled as she turned around to wipe a stray tear. "I love it. It's a pretty name."

"Then it's settled. You are officially Riruka Dokugamine, and you better tell the Old Man that, you hear me?"

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much Rukia!" The brunette beamed with glee, nearly breaking my back in half with a hug and gave thanks once again while exiting, her giggling and hooting still audible from a distance, putting a smile on my face. I felt good about helping her out. But I'll keep the part about where I got her name hush-hush. Maybe I should've put ivy or something over the dollhouse, just in case.

The events of the night prior played in my head, and I was questioning myself if they really happened. I knew the part about me leaving with Damir was true, but the other part of the tale…did it just go _poof? _Maybe I _was _dreaming and all of that fantasy and being attacked by a cannibeast never happened. Maybe Kyoraku slipped something into my drink while I was visiting him. He _did _look a wee bit shady…but does that mean everything was a dream? Kyuuaba, the dollhouse, Hisana's grave, were they all in my head?

I got out of the bed and tried to clear my head as I brushed my hair as I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes then caught the necklace, analyzing it, almost as if to patrol it and stop it from acting up again. But it stood still.

Trying to forget about it, I sighed and walked away from the mirror and headed for the closet, but then, I felt something weird on the back of my neck. I figured it must've been some lint or something caught in the chain.

I turned it around to see what was wrong, but when my hand touched something rock-like and hard, and _not _lint-like, I didn't know what to think. I slowly took my finger off of the necklace, and my mouth instantly dropped. There was the same mold on the exact same place where I broke it.

Which meant that Hisana's grave was real.

This meant that there was an actual dragon with me last night.

So…

_It wasn't a dream.

* * *

_

Author's Note: Hey boos :D Happy late Christmas/Hannukkah/Chinese New Year and all that jazz, I hoped y'all had a good one. Anywho, next SP chapter, we're going to be going to see how our friends back in NY are doing and Rukia's going to be finally going home, but when her welcome back goes horribly wrong, it's not only our little midget who's traumatized. But before that, I'm going to let y'all know that I'll be taking a little break from SP, and once I get a chapter (each) for LPF, TNB and finally finish a (HichiIchi) one-shot I'm writing for my friend, then SP will be back in business. The next chapter will kind of be like, a mini-filler, but not really. I just get tired of Rukia and I need change, ya know? AND, KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED FOR MY FOR GETTING INTO EARLY COLLEGE:D I really hope I get accepted. Dammit, now I done rambled again.

READ, **REVIEW**, AND ENJOY~ !


	13. Doctor Who?

December 15th, 2009, 9:43 P.M.

Secrets.

Everybody has one. From stealing the last cookie in the jar to having an affair with your best friend's wife, to hiding the massacre right under the police's noses. And the thing is, no matter how much we want to tell our friends and family, we just can't bare the embarrassment. The humiliation. The pity. The look in their eyes that reads, "Oh, you poor thing"; or even our own death.

And no matter how big or small it may be, we all have that slight pang of fear strike us once our mind senses that there's a chance that secret might be exposed, and the only one left to blame is our own self. We don't want to cross that line that separates the black from white. But when we're hoarding a secret, it's as if we're carrying the Titanic, Eiffel Tower, and the Statue of Liberty on our backs. So, do we tell and face the judgment and gossip people will spread or bare the burden and hope that with time, the pain will ease away?

Although things weren't under their "normal" circumstances tonight, the club seemed just as busy, with or without certain people missing. Who are the missing, you ask? Well, no one really important, just Boss, and a few people, you know. Despite the head honcho not being available, he placed his trust in to take charge. After all, with no authority, there'd be sex and chaos all over the place. The ivy-haired female that filled in for Boss that night accepted it without hesitation, since she knew Boss' personal life tended to make some conflicts, but in the inside, she was a basket case. Once you think about it, it's not like the club-goers had any idea what was going on anyway. They couldn't tell if the very people serving them were convicts or if they were just petty thieves. However, that's irrelevant—the important thing was that everything was running smoothly, even without the Chief in charge.

Although most of the TR crew wasn't there that night, there were still enough people to have the club open. However, what had happened that night, remained between those select few workers: Nelliel, Grimmjow, Shuhei, Rangiku, Mashiro, Renji, and Yoruichi. These seven kept a secret that threatened their very existence; but was it worth to save their own lives instead of protect the people they loved from the fore-coming danger?

At the bar, there was a dark-skinned woman with a mane of violet with raven streaks dyed through it and her golden cat-like eyes kept a close watch on those close to the point where they could no longer stand up on their legs. Occasionally, she'd scan the room in hopes that a certain someone would walk in, but they had yet to come; but her hope didn't falter with time. She knew that they had a habit of arriving tardy to the party. Always.

In the very back of the discothèque, there was the theatre stage full of curves and womanly legs galore as they strutted what they had to offer in clothing that barely managed to cover their bits. But it made their patrons wave $20's, $50's, and even an occasional Benjamin in the air. Directing all of this was no other than Rangiku, who considered the grace and sheer beauty of the woman artists, a modern-day 'geisha', if you will. She didn't think of the women on stage as "slutty", or "whorish" as people might imply.

Why, you ask? Well, it's because she grew up living that kind of life, and now that she was older, she changed it for the better (in her thinking). Instead of loathing herself for not following the rules of "Society & Culture for Dummies" Guide, she put her past experiences to better use as "teaching" these women the art of dance and seduction, all while staying classy. She knew it was hard to make a buck underground, so she pushed her pupils to the limit, as if they had to dance for their lives. Whatever happened between a broad and a patron was strictly their business. If they didn't have their act ready by the time they had to work, they'd have issues. But if said patron dared to harm or threaten the broad, then shit was going to go down like the Titanic. Boss was very protective over the girls, since he knew just how rowdy the men could get at times. Rangiku knew all too well how that road went, since she often ventured it when she was young(er) and more naïve.

Reminiscing about her past only brought back memories and experiences of regret, in which she shrugged off quickly so she could stay focused. As the song came to an end, she signaled the next group of females to perform to stand behind the curtains and enter from stage right while the lights dimmed, she turned on her headset. "Good job, ladies. Amber, Jess, and Nicki, get ready to take your places."

The three new girls immediately transitioned from the sides to their positions onstage, wasting no time. After one more hour, the director could finally take her break. But that hour couldn't pass by any slower.

All in all, things were alright. And the woman in charge let out a sigh of relief, content that there was no fights, no arguments, no spilled drinks, _nothing. _In fact, she was actually surprised that people were behaving themselves.

Despite her optimistic attitude, inside, she was a worried wreck. She couldn't stop thinking of her petite friend that had fallen from a rooftop not too long ago; and with a couple of wounds at that. But Nel knew that her friend hadn't just had too much to drink and mysteriously got up to the top of the building. She knew the real cause of this "incident"—Orihime.

* * *

Confronting Rukia was out of the question because of the bloodbath she was bathed in, and Nel's haemophobia didn't really help. She didn't want her friend to think that she was terrified of her, but when it came to blood, she was rendered useless. Nel _wanted _to help the girl, but her body was paralyzed with fear of the crimson liquid. The woman had to crawl and hide in an alley to recover from her erratic phobia, and watch Rukia be carried away by strangers, which made her feel like the decomposing rubbish below dirt. Not to mention that the figures that were talking to the girl earlier looked _beyond _suspicious. One was an elderly man with a rather long, grey beard who was there at the scene. _Probably just a gramps being a good ol' Samaritan, _she thought.

But when she looked at the man who actually carried the unconscious woman, Nel knew something wasn't right with him. There was a certain presence he gave off, but she couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was. Ominous, yet hidden under the radar, like a snake ready to strike from the underbrush at any moment. The aura was so strange and powerful, it made Nelliel apprehensive and hesitant to make a move, so she watched from the sidelines and watched as he tended to her wounds. Nel decided that this was the time to try to "scan" him to figure out what he was while he was occupied.

Focusing all of her energy into both her self and fingertips, she blocked everything out and stopped breathing so she could hear the strange man's "pulse" that he gave off. Closing her eyes, the world had morphed into its inverse. The once grey, gloomy buildings towering over her were now black, with a thick white outline, and the windows of it were bright white too. Now that she looked at it, _everything _was black with white outlines, except for the sky, which was a dark, murky grey of some sort.

But then, she could see the dark blue, almost cerulean, rings beat in the atmosphere, and her own light teal aura was visible as well, but just barely. Trying to sync the two beats together so she could figure just _what _this man was, and if he was of any danger to Rukia, Nel had some difficulty with it, since her beat was about the pace of a turtle's walk, this guy's pulse was that of a hummingbird's heartbeat. With such diverse speeds, it was tedious to try to join the two beats. Think of it like jumping rope. You have to jump at a certain time in order to jump over the rope. In this case, this was quintuple-dutch.

Right as she was about to give up, she decided a change of plans. Clearing her throat subtly, she let out a high-pitched scream and just by listening, she could tell the man dropped everything he was doing and was now curious and even a bit paranoid, and Nel could sense that his beats dramatically slowed to a pace that she could keep up with. Now was the time to strike, and Nel successfully synched the two pulses, but before she could finish, a light blue apparition of a dragon's head with a bared jaw and overgrown canines snapped shut in Nel's mind, terminating her from the sync.

"Who's there?" The man demanded to the air. Nel covered her mouth with both of her hands and stopped breathing again and halted her pulse, so there was no detectable trace of her.

"Speak now, before I come and find you."

_Sweet Lord, if you love me, don't let me die today, _Nel silently prayed as she bowed her head and made a cross over her chest.

"Doctor Milović?" A firm, but weary voice asked.

Nel swallowed her anxiety as she slowly crept to the edge of the wall, seeing just a peek of the scene that was happening. Both of the men's faces were cut off by the wall, but she was able to see only a bit of the older man.

Almost instantly, the man lost all of his tension and acted as if nothing was out of sorts. "Yes, Mr…?"

"Kuchiki."

"Ah, yes, the sudden grandfather who decided to show up and "discover" his long-lost granddaughter."

"You have no right sticking your nose in places where it doesn't belong, doctor."

"When it involves my patients, yes it does. So I will do whatever I need to do to heal them and keep them stable. Even if that means keeping them from their family."

"What kind of doctor is that?" The elderly man snarled.

"One of a kind," The man stated, standing his ground. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to treat Rukia as soon as possible. We'll pick this discussion up later. As for now, she needs her rest. Let's go."

"Agreed."

As the sound of footsteps slowly faded, one pair stopped, as another went on, but that one shortly stopped as well.

"Aren't you coming?" The voice of the grandfather asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute, I just need to ponder on something for a bit."

"Suit yourself."

When the footsteps were gone, the other pair only moved a step, and Nel quickly, but slyly, put her back to the wall so she wouldn't be detected.

"I don't know what you are, or your purpose for trying to pick at my brain, but if you try to follow me, I won't hesitate to kill you next time."

Fear and anxiety had built up so much in Nel's system that a tear trickled down the side of her face, all while covering up her mouth and hearing the footsteps of the devil gradually fade away into the distance and shortly after, a car starting up and driving away. It was then that she let everything that she had been bottling up just explode. She almost got killed, and now, her friend might face that same fate because Nel was too weak to do anything.

"Aw, are you having a bad night? I'm not. Actually, I had a lot of fun tonight, to be honest," A sinister voice cackled, but then quickly quieted down as the eyes of the ginger staring down at Nel analyzed her and gave her a look of pity. "You've gotten weak."

Nel's eyelashes flicked up and saw two grey eyes staring stoically at her as two hands fidgeted and twirled the long, ginger bangs that surrounded her oval face. This was the face of the woman who pushed Rukia off the roof. This was the face of Nelliel's ex-best friend. This was the face of Ichigo's past love.

"You shut your mouth, you witch!" The ivy-haired woman hissed as her body took in heavy, uncontrollable breaths. "Why? Why are you here? Why can't you just leave us alone? You betrayed us, stole from us, lied to us, but most of all, you practically broke Ichigo. So tell me why you're here!"

"Now, now, that's not the thing I was expecting out of your mouth. I was looking for something more like, 'Omigosh, Orihime! How have you been?' or 'Jeez, you only get prettier by the years!'"

"Go to hell, you _monster_," Nel growled as she stood up, her fear now replaced with rage, and Orihime only laughed even harder at this.

"Well, boo, to answer your question, I'm here for a number of reasons."

"Which are?"

"Don't rush me. All in time, my good friend. Obviously, I came here to congratulate King on his event or award, or whatever it is he threw a party this time. He seems to be in the party mood lately. Like, I'm not even joking, it can be over the smallest of things and-"

"So you had other intentions."

"Obviously. I talked with my past love, and," The ginger giggled like a schoolgirl. "We caught up quite a bit. It was nice seeing him again."

"You're lying," Nel scowled. "He cringes at the very sound of your name. Why would he even want to _talk _to you in the first place? That's a bunch of bullshit."

"Is it?" The woman cocked an eyebrow at her former best friend. "How long has it been since he has fed? Much less, had sex?"

"I wouldn't know about his sex life! And he's handling himself just fine, he hasn't been hungry. He wouldn't feed on you even if you were the last source of food alive."

"Oh, the irony," Orihime chuckled. "You can't just accept the fact that he still has feelings for me. But what's your problem, Nel? You aren't the same woman I met in South Carolina that day-"

"You take your filthy hands off of me," The woman growled as she slapped Orihime's hands away from her shoulders. "And I could say the same for you."

"True, true. I'd say that I'd grew a pair and realized how cruel the world was, that's what happened. You should know that more than anyone, Nelliel."

"Don't you dare speak to me about what's cruel!"

"Aw, why do you have to break my heart like that?"

"What heart? You don't have one, you evil, malicious, bitch!"

"Why are you like this? Why do you keep rejecting me, like you never want to see me again?"

"Because I don't!"

"Why?"

"Because you destroyed everything, Orihime!"

There was only the sound of Nel's heavy breathing and the cars passing by between the two's null void of silence. Nelliel had hit a spot on the woman, she could tell. Nel's fiery hazel eyes didn't back down for a second from glaring at the ginger, but all Orihime did was look at her sympathetically, but with a weakness in her eyes.

"You…ruined everything. You betrayed everybody's trust, and now, you're an outcast. But what really bugs me is now you think after all that's happened, you think you can just waltz on in and act as if everything's just peaches and cream and in fact, it's _not!_ Wake _up_, Orihime! We hate you because of what you've done, but most of all, you've hurt Ichigo. I don't think you realize just how much you hurt him. Did you know he tried to kill himself? But the thing is, he _can't_ die, because he's_ immortal._

"He drank himself into a sea of alcohol. Although he pushed everybody away, including me, and said things that would only come out of Satan's mouth, I knew that wasn't the Ichigo I grew up with. Everybody else left him. TR was practically gone. But me and Grimmjow were the only ones who didn't give up on him. Two years. Two whole years that he suffered in loneliness, agony, and self-loathing. That's how long it took for him to recover.

"You broke him, Orihime. Broke him like a toy. You see, I don't think you quite realize how badly you hurt him. When you two were together, it was like he was on a high everyday. He'd do anything for you—most men groan and complain about doing the slightest things for their women, but he, no. He was happy because he had you. He was _so _proud to call you the love of his life, and you know as well as I do that if anyone even dared to look in your direction, he'd beat their tails until they were red as a pulp. This man bent down on one knee for you, and yet, you've managed to hurt him as if he was your arch rival. And now, you're trying to mess up an actual _healthy _relationship he has with this sweet, innocent, girl who did you absolutely _no _harm? Just how evil can you get, Orihime?"

"I did it because I had to! You think it didn't hurt me too?" The ginger broke down, sobbing. "I still love that man, believe it or not! And if I have to break a bone or snap a neck to get him back, then so be it. You, of all people, know he can't be in a normal relationship with that human. She'll _never _accept what he is, because she doesn't know who 'John' really is—a daemon. He is a daemon who can't control himself, and if she catches him at the wrong time, he's going to wolf her down like Thanksgiving dinner."

"There's no chance of that happening."

"Ugh, humans," The ginger sighed as she changed the subject and composed herself, wiping off any stray tears. "One little thing, and they're like _splat_, dead. Too friggin' fragile."

"Orihime, why are you lying to me?"

"What are you talking abo-"

"You and I both know that she's not human."

There was yet, another wall of silence dividing the two, but this time, it wasn't as long, and Orihime acknowledged her.

"I was wondering whether or not you were going to bring this up."

"What is she?" Nel ignored her remark.

"I dunno."

"Stop lying to me."

"Honestly, I don't! If I did, don't you think I'd kill her with her weakness by now?"

"Then what is she, if not human?"

"Nothing I've seen before," The ginger shrugged.

"Does King know?"

"Eh, he's opting to 'bump' into her in the future."

"I see…but, Orihime?"

"Hmm?" She turned back.

"Are you serious about trying to get Ichigo back? And did you two really have…?"

"Hun, why do you think I'm trying so hard? And if you don't believe me, why don't you bug him about it? I may have jumbled up some of the details, mixed them around, taken some out and put some new ones in, but all I can say is that me and him…shared some good memories."

"That's all I need to know then. Go on, you disgust me. Shoo already."

The ginger laughed, and for once, it was genuine. "You know, I wasn't kidding about being friends again, Nelliel."

"Come see me when you're not evil. Then we'll talk."

"I'll see you in hell, then?"

"No chance."

Orihime smiled as she quickly climbed the side of the building and over the roof, leaving Nel by her lonesome once more.

* * *

Exhaling a deep sigh through her nostrils, she knew that if she thought about that night any more, it'd distract her from her job. But, on the other hand, everything seemed to be holding well on its own, so there really were no worries or work to be concerned about.

Feeling thirsty, she called out to Yoruichi and ordered the first thing she saw on the specials and plopped down on the barstool and the bartender swiftly handed her the drink. "There ya go."

"Thanks, Yoru," Nel nodded as she raised the shot glass slightly, but all she did was stare in the core of the alcohol, as if it was some kind of hypnotic.

"Um…is something wrong, Nel?"

"Oh, nothing, just thinking about some stuff."

"You sure?" The black woman questioned skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "Something's troubling you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

"You know, if something's itching at you, I can lend an ear."

"Thank you Yoruichi," Nel nodded as she took a small sip from her glass. "But I just need some alone time to think about some things."

"Alright then. Now, time for my break," She said as she hung her waist-apron on the hook behind the bar.

"Sure thing. Be back by 11 or I'm docking your pay."

"Uh-huh," The black woman nodded as she slipped out.

Nel gulped the rest of her alcohol, feeling the strong aftertaste burn her throat, after swallowing it, she shook her head and started to pour herself another glass.

"You an alcoholic now?" A deep, familiar voice queried. She turned around and saw a tan, toned, and tattooed man standing in front of her with an innocent smile, but even he had signs of worry indented on his face, but seeing her friend did make Nel slightly happier. In the dim light, his crimson mane looked almost chestnut-ish, which is why Nel hesitated for a moment before greeting him.

"Howdy stranger," The female smile as she gave her friend a quick bear hug. "It's been a month and Sunday since I've seen you around here, Renji. How have you been? And are you growing out a beard? You got them pricklies around your mouth, and lots of it."

"I've had better days. And I've just gotten lazy recently. How are things holding up over here?"

"Honestly," Nel paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I'm questioning every little thing I do. It's," She laughed, not believing the words that she had just said. "It's almost as if I don't know myself, or even why I'm here, or-"

Right then, the hanging jungle of small, bloody vines swished towards Nelliel. She looked up, seeing a huge hand hover right above her eyes, with a callous knuckle or two of his hand touching her forehead.

"No, you're not sick," The man concluded as he took his hand off of her forehead. "What's wrong?"

"That's the thing! Everything's going just dandy, and I'm over here sulking in a corner and I don't know why."

"Is it 'cause of Ol' Blue? Grimm hasn't been around in a while, has he?"

"A bit of distance is good for a relationship. I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about the very people I'm around everyday. The secrets they don't know, the danger that's ready to pounce on them if they make a single mistake, and the fact that these very people are my friends and family—I can't help but worry. They say ignorance is bliss, but in this world, it's the very thing that could lead to your death."

"Which is why I tend not to get involved with TR," Renji stared off at the people dancing and the entire scene behind his and Nel's backs, but he could care less about the drunken slaves to the bass of the music. "So, where's Rukia? Isn't she supposed to be working tonight?"

The ivy-maned female hesitated for a moment, feeling an instant gulp of poison sting inside her throat, for she didn't know all that well either where Rukia went either. But she couldn't tell Renji that she had been "abducted" either. Now that her mind was in a state of loss, she didn't know what was real and what part was the web of lies that these innocent people were so ignorantly tangled up in. Those invisible lines of silk would eventually coil and wrap around one until they get tighter, and tighter, and finally until they break in half, succumbing to the spider's lair.

_We're all just tiny, stupid gnats stuck in this huge unseen web that's unbeknownst to us, _The woman thought before clearing her throat to speak. "You see, there's been an…_incident_."

"What kind of incident?" He growled.

* * *

"Rangiku!"

The woman blinked profusely at the sound of her name being called, as if she had been in a trance of some sort. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned towards the direction of the caller, seeing that it was no other than Dylan, a newbie in the TR business. Despite being old enough to make his own decisions, he had the naïveté and impulses of a teenager.

"Hey Rangiku," The boy muttered as he crossed through the crowed to the small, elevated booth that was directly hovering over the stage. "Why aren't you enjoying yourself? You look like somebody just punched you in the gut."

'_I'll punch _you _in the gut if you don't shut up', _The woman wanted to say. But instead, she went with "Oh, I'm just watching over the girls, in case anything goes wrong.," Her voice faded as her eyes glanced towards the stage once more, just to be sure she didn't jinx anything, and then turned back to the employee. "So, why are you here, Blondie?"

"Actually, Yumichika sent me to tell you he can't make it later."

"Dammit Yumichika," She groaned as she put both hands through her hair. You could just tell by the way that she sighed that Rangiku already had enough on her plate. She stared at the ground, as if the answers to her problems were encrypted right there on the spot; and then, the bright reflection of the golden and azure of the boy's Nike's gave her a brilliant idea. "Say, Blondie," She started off coyly as the trap was slowly set in motion. "Is it just me or has Boss been cheaping out on our payments?"

"I knew I wasn't the only one!" He agreed with enthusiasm. "I tried to talk to him, but the people at the office said that he was out-of-state handling some affairs."

_Just how many more secrets do you have to keep to yourself, Boss? _Rangiku pondered, but then jumped back to the present. "Well, I wasn't aware of that. But, if it's money you're looking for, why don't you fill in for Yumichika instead? I'm real close with the financing guy, so-"

"Hold on a sec," The man shook his head as he stared intently at Rangiku, not sure where she was going with this. "Why me?"

"You said you need the extra cash, didn't you? But if you don't want the job, I'll offer it to someone else then," The blonde pouted for exactly two seconds before walking away glumly. It may have been a full minute or two that she walked, and she was lingering the counting of each second that passed. '_If it comes down to it', _She thought, '_I'll have to beguile him. Hopefully, if won't be any more than just playful flirting But-"_

"Wait!"

"Oui?" Rangiku turned around curtly with an oh-so-piqued face.

"Say I accept this job…how much will I get paid?" Dylan asked with crossed arms. _A sign of insecurity, _She noted. _I need to convince him that he needs this job._

"Well, it depends on how good of a job you do. Plus, you get tips."

"And just what exactly is this job?"

"Rangiku!" A shrill voice cried, making both of them turn around. The frequency of the pitch was so high, you could even hear it among the deafening bass shaking the club.

Emerging from the crowd was a petite, youthful female whose lime green bob and unique choice of clothing might make people label her as something of a Harajuku girl, with her hot pink and neon green polka dot tunic with sky blue legging and 6-inch ebony laced heels. Not to mention the unusual shades of eyeshadow she donned. The girl's wardrobe was far from normal, but she had that sweet and adorable air about her. But instead of her usual cheerfulness, she wore an anxious, even somber expression on her face.

"What is it, Mashiro?"

"There's someone on the phone…" She barely managed to squeak out, and her reddened eyes were glued to the floor. She was disturbed, that was for sure.

Rangiku could tell by the girl's worried look that this was no normal "someone" that Mashiro was talking about. This person could make a woman tremble simply by talking to them—this had "sketchy" written all over it.

"Lead me to where the phone is, Mashiro. Dylan, go talk to Shinji, he'll explain everything to you," The blonde nodded as she went to the lobby with the girl.

"Ms. Matsumoto," The girl began, "The sir on the phone…"

"Yes?" The blonde nodded her head, telling her to continue. "What about him?"

"I'll just give the phone for you to decide for yourself, I just can't talk about it, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," She looked away as she held out the cell before quickly walking away.

"Wait, come with me," The blonde said before the girl had a chance to escape.

They walked out of the discotheque and entered Rangiku's private office. She closed the door behind her and spoke, silently instructing Mashiro to get the device for tracking the call inside her desk.

"Hello?" She asked.

"'Bout damn time someone answered. Ya ain't gonna crumble like that bitch earlier, right? Because if ya are, yer just one more whore Imma kill once I bomb yer little "clubhouse"."

"Obviously, you need to visit a mental hospital, because you don't know who I am or what I will do to you. Now, I don't know how the _hell _you got this number, but if you're wise, you won't call back again."

"You think I'm fuckin' around, dontcha?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe, _yes," _The woman laughed at how "hard" the man was trying to act over the phone.

"It's Matsumoto, right?"

And so her laughter ended right there. She stared at Mashiro setting up the final touches on the machine, but before she could even get the first syllable out, the harsh and discordant sound of the man's voice spoke again.

"Before you go glarin' and pointin' fingers, that bitch earlier didn't say shit. She couldn't even get a word out because she was whimpering like a dog. Fuckin' idiot. Now, back to you," He cackled, making the woman gulp. "Rangiku Matsumoto—blonde, stacked, blue eyes. Born in Albany, New York on May 15th, 1981."

"You don't know anything about me," Rangiku sniped.

"Oh, but in fact, I do. 1987—yer parents didn't want ya, so they dropped you off at a whorehouse. You grew up with whores, and you were forced to become one to survive."

"Shut up," She growled, louder this time.

"That's around the time you fell head-'ver-heels fer a fella by the name of Gin Ichimaru. You were 19 then, and at the time, Gin was trying to convince you to run away, but you refused, so he left ya. You then entered a state of depression and lost nearly half your body weight. 17 times you tried to commit suicide, but you failed in each attempt, thinking that 'he'd come back one day'. You failed 17 times. That's whatcha are—a _failure."_

"You don't know _anything _about me, you creep!" The blonde yelled, making Mashiro jump in her seat. Her lip slightly dropped at the sight of the woman losing her cool—Rangiku rarely got emotional. Or angry for that matter. Whoever this man was, he had a silver tongue and enough wit to unnerve even the calmest of people, that much was certain.

But then, the dawn of mirth shattered the silence.

"Ahahah, you mad? That's the point. So, I think what I told you is evidence enough that I _do _know about you, your past, and your future. Now then, unless you want to lose your job at TR and then get killed, or get killed and then lose your job—I don't know how my "Strawberry" friend does it over there—you're going to make a deal with me."

* * *

"So you mean to tell me that you have no idea where she is at this moment?"

"Renji, I'm so sorry-"

"What if she gets hurt?" He stood up, glaring at the woman. She stared right back at him, and she could tell the alcohol was starting to get to him because of that glassy look in his eyes and sharp temper. That, plus his coordination was starting to fade too. "Answer me, Nul," He mumbled over his words, but his seriousness was still unwavering, despite the alcohol getting to him "What. If she. Gets Hurt."

"I don't know, Renji, but I know that she'll be safe."

"And why is that?"

"I got a feeling-"

"Hahaha! You got a _feeling?_" Renji stared at her with a mock smile, laughing in disbelief as he turned around, shaking his head.

"I know that she's safe-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, shards of glass flew everywhere, making the entire place come to complete stop. Nel shrieked, and everything, the music, the people, even the broads on stage stopped and stared at the scene. Even Shuhei and the boys from the poker room poked their heads out the door.

"Don't you dare say another word," He heaved, with bloodshot eyes narrowing down at her.

At that moment, Nel realized she no longer knew this man. Something dark and malicious inside of him had taken root, and it changed the man she once knew.

"Or what? What are you gonna-"

Renji lifted a hand, ready to make contact with Nel's face, but in the moment it was raised, something had gripped the arm by the wrist, not allowing it to move. The drunken redhead turned around and the first thing that he saw was head of azure before looking down at the phlegmatic, stony face that looked down on him. Cerulean-jade eyes studied the man for a moment or two before looking across to the woman, whose lip slightly dropped in surprise, and then looked back to the drunk.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her. Do it, and I'll rip out your throat with my own teeth."

"Well, well!" Renji hooted as he turned to Nel. "I told ya Ol' Blue'd be back soon!"

"Grimmjow," Nel swallowed the mix of anxiety, alcohol, and slight giddiness (that quickly faded away). "Don't waste your time. He's not worth it."

"Oh, but someone needs to put him in his place. I don't care _who _it is, he needs-"

"I'll tell ya what I need," The drunk mumbled as he shrugged his arm free from Grimmjow, barely being able to stand up on his own two legs. "I need ya to shut the _hell _up!"

A punch was made to Grimmjow, but at Renji's level of coordination, it easily kissed the air and a new fist hit him in the side of his face, knocking the redhead and the barstools over. Women screamed and more people gathered to the scene, getting even more intrigued by what was happening now.

The backdoor clicked open and Yoruichi slipped inside from the wintry air, but her mouth dropped the second she turned her head and saw her bar in disarray. She was about to yell at the top of her lungs, demanding who had wrecked it, but after seeing the two men go at it, she decided to scurry into the crowd and get some info instead of meddling.

By now, the two were having an all-out brawl, and blood (mostly Renji's) was splattered all over the floor. His hand tried to sneak up to the bar to grab the beer bottle and hit it over Grimmjow's head, but he was too slow. The azure-haired man knocked it right out of his hands and pinned him down.

"Boy, you made the wrong decision crossing my path," Grimmjow hissed, and within an instant, four feline fangs were bared in front of Renji's face, which was now full of shock, fear, and utter confusion. Renji didn't even see how or when those four teeth morphed into saber-like fangs. And he was pretty sure that he _could _rip out his throat with those kind of teeth.

"Grimmjow! That's enough!" Nel yelled in a loud kind of whisper. She turned to the crowd, who was just as petrified as Renji was, and looked for help.

"He almost hit you, Nel," The azure-headed man hissed as he tightened his grip on the drunk, and Renji yelped out in agony.

"My arms! What the hell did you do to them, Grimmjow?"

"Oh, it seems my temper got the best of me," He said as he lifted up a hand to the drunk's face, which made him freak out even more. Not only was Grimmjow's hand bloodied from digging into what little flesh there was on Renji's wrist, but his nails had now elongated into claws jagged enough to poke a couple of holes through the man.

"Grimmjow!" Nel shouted as she tried to restrain him from killing Renji. "What has gotten into you?" She bent down to whisper in his ear. "I don't know if you've noticed, but there are living, breathing, _humans _watching you right now. And if you kill Renji, God knows what's gonna happen to you! Stop now before you get into any more trouble!"

The man gradually shut his mouth as he took a look at Renji, then the crowd, and then to his girlfriend, who was keeping him back by wrapping both arms around his neck. Truth was, he couldn't answer Nel's question. He really didn't know what _had _gotten into him. The consequences of what he did rang as clear as bell, and he understood them perfectly, but it was almost as if the thing that would normally stop him from going too far had completely dissolved.

"Just let it go," The woman whispered, and within seconds, Grimmjow retracted his fangs and claws and swiftly got off of Renji. However, that didn't change the fact that he was still glaring daggers at the man; but now, there was the problem of dealing with the crowd, who had just witnessed the entire scene.

"Shit, what do we do?" He whispered to Nel, but before the female could respond, the sound of clapping broke the silence, and people's stares were now looking at the violet-haired woman who was nodding at the three, as if she was a star-struck spectator.

"Marvelous, simply _marvelous!" _Yoruichi clapped grandly as she took a couple of steps forward, with the crowd retreating away from the woman. _"_That little skit had me biting my nails the entire time! I felt the blood pumping through my veins, my hands shaking, the occasional sweat drop of anxiety—this was so dramatic, I was nearly about to stroke out right there and then. When I was informed you all would be performing, I must admit, I was skeptical, but you all pulled it off. Fooled the rest of the audience, I call tell you that much. And thrown glass, good on your part, _Michael._"

"The hell is Michael?" Renji murmured to Nelliel, staring blankly at Yoruichi.

"She's talking to you, dumbass," Grimmjow sniped.

For a brief moment, there was a moment of silence. Renji couldn't put two and two together, due to the fact he was as drunk as a skunk. But miraculously, he managed to grasp the fact that Yoruichi was improving and he needed to play along.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot my lines for a, um, sec," The redhead agreed.

"But wait, what about those fangs that came outta that guy's mouth?" A voice from the crowd shouted. "You gonna tell me that was just an act too?"

Yoruichi turned around with a plastered-on smile on her face. "Why yes, actually. In fact, it's a prop. They're tucked up against the roof of his mouth. And as for the claws, they're a whole different story."

While the woman was busy tangling the crowd into the web that would soon be their cover, Grimm, Nel, and Renji took this opportunity to slyly slip away to the door near the bar. Yoruichi seemed to be enjoying herself as she enticed the audience into whatever tricks she had up her sleeves, and soon, things were back to normal at _The Rendezvous. _Nel was the last of the three to go through the door, and looked around and double-checked before closing the door behind her.

Sighing, she put her back to the door as the three of them stood there, out in the wintry air with the sound of subways zooming on the floor above them. As she opened her eyes, the woman looked at her boyfriend first, and then the drunk before shaking her head and scoffing in disbelief. The tension between the three was like a fog, so thick and so heavy, it made the mere feet between them feel like miles. She couldn't stand to look at either of them, so she closed her eyes.

"Look Nel," Renji started, but his mouth didn't really have a plan as to what he would say. All that he could think of would be '_I'm sorry. I let my temper get the best of me. Forgive me?'_, but he knew that that wouldn't cut it. "Just lay it on me. Just let out all your anger and-"

"Renji Abarai," The female cut him off, eyes still closed, teeth clenched. "I am connecting with Jesus. He and I don't talk much—we've had somewhat of a strained relationship, you know. I need to take the time to apologize for my mistakes every now and then and ask for forgiveness, maybe even some back-up from him if he hears me all the way down here for the nasty situation you done got us all in," She heaved. "So, God help me, if I can't have a simple moment of silence to connect to the Messiah, I scrape out each and every one of your teeth with my own ten nails and then shove it down your throat," Nel hissed.

The two men were as quiet as mice, and they didn't even dare to make a move that would make even the slightest noise. However, their moods were completely polar. While Renji was more apprehensive than a pregnant woman carrying a stack of her best China, Grimmjow knew his girlfriend like the back of his hand—he knew that when Nel was having one of her "religious" moments, that it'd be wise not to disturb her. Hell hath no fury like a frustrated devoted Christian woman.

Grimm decided this was the time for a smoking break, so he walked around the corner of the building to light up one. Renji felt uncomfortable being around the same woman he had a feud with earlier, but it's not like he could go chit-chat with Grimmjow. At least, not anymore. After that stunt he pulled at the bar, he knew for sure he wasn't on good terms with the couple. And only the birds know what'll happen once the others hear of this. Not to mention Boss. And Rukia, of course. He may have been drunk, but he wasn't stupid. Just slow.

Awkwardly settling in between the gap of space between the two, he leaned against the brick wall, with only the night and trail of smoke in the air to comfort him. It was at this time that the man looked over the things he had done in the past year, and he wasn't too proud of it. His past was haunting him, and something was eating him up alive inside.

Around the corner, a certain azure-haired gent wasn't too pleased either. On one hand, there was a filthy, malodorous, drunk that Grimm wanted to choke 10 ways 'til Sunday that almost placed his hands on his girlfriend, who, in fact, was just at mad at Grimm for nearly shifting in front of everybody. Revealing a secret like that would not only endanger his relationship, but his career too, as well as his life.

He put his hand in front of him with the palm facing towards him, and his fingers curled. Swiftly, his nails elongated into claws, and teal-blue eyes couldn't help but stare at the grey, lustrous hooks. A couple of years ago, he hated himself for this "_hell-hex", _as he called it, that he was. A couple of years ago, he was just a teenager who ran away from his home in Louisiana. A couple of years ago, he was _normal. _

With his eyes still analyzing the claws, he was able to see a smidge of his reflection and he realized then that nothing was normal. His life wasn't normal—it was living on a whole different universe. He couldn't help what he was, that much was fact; but he couldn't help but have the tiniest morsel of self-detestation, even after all this years. His reflection told him that. It told him much more as well. The face looking back at Grimmjow was a present reminder of what he was. The stubs around his mouth, the scar down his cheekbone, the tattoo he got once he got "inducted" into the TR business—they were all reminders of the things he'd done, the ruts he got into, and the people who helped him get out.

He could've stared at his reflection for hours and hours and reminisce about the ups and downs he faced in the past, but that wouldn't solve anything in the present. Right now, he needed to put up the album of memories in the attic, lock it, and focus on the _now._

_Christ, listen to my plea: I know I've committed a lot of sins in the past couple of years, but they were all for a good reason. I know I may sound selfish, but I'm asking for your help right about now. It's bad enough lying to these innocent people everyday, but I need a miracle now. I'm asking for you to watch over me and my family. Amen._

Nel opened her eyes gradually and felt the hairs on her skin prick up as the wind picked up and blew in her direction, but she didn't feel the icy gust. She was as stoic as can be, and she felt nothing. No anger, no joy, just sheer emptiness. Looking to her right, she saw Renji sitting down, slumped against the wall with the spell of slumber about to overtake him. It was at this moment that Nelliel remembered that Renji was just a kid (sort of). He had yet to live, and the incident that had happened earlier was a mix of his naïveté and drunkenness. True, he had nearly hit her, but Nel knew better than to provoke the intoxicated.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Grimmjow walking towards her. She didn't look his way, but she didn't look the other way either. Nel had just remained the same—calm, cool, and motionless. He knelt down beside her and stared at her. The woman could feel Grimm's eyes on her and she couldn't resist the urge to turn her head and stare back at him.

"How did your chat with Jesus go?" He queried, not sure where to begin the conversation.

"It was good, we got to catch up," Nelliel nodded.

"So now that you're free, _we _need to have a chat of our own."

"About?"

"I think it's very obvious what we need to talk about."

Nel averted her gaze to the ground, not wanting to spark the "talk" right away. Past Grimm's shoulder was Renji, but he had drank enough liquor to make an elephant pass out, so she had nothing to worry about, even though apprehension was pulsing through her veins. Now, she really needed a drink.

"Where we do start?" She looked up with a sigh, her eyes full of fret.

"Let's start with the jackass first," Grimm pointed his head in the direction of the sleeping drunk. "What made him angry in the first place?"

"You're awfully calm, considering you're the one who nearly tore out his throat out. Why the sudden change?"

"Don't get me wrong, I still want to kill him, but his death would only make complications. And I figured that the last thing you need to clean up tonight."

"Well thanks for being considerate," Nel muttered. "But to answer your question, it started out perfectly normal. We were just talking. And then, we got talking about Rukia, and with each minute, he seemed a little bit more angry, and then…_bang_."

"_Bang_?"

"Yes, bang. Things exploded, people screamed, you ready to slit his throat with your claws, that ring a bell?"

"No, not at all. In fact, I don't know _what _the hell you're talking about. I'm completely innocent," He chuckled, trying to mask that same worry that Nelliel was wearing on her face. Truth was, he was just as scared of what would happened, but he didn't want to think about the future or face the consequences just yet.

"This is _not _funny, so why are you laughing?" She glared, but her seriousness only made her boyfriend laugh even more, making her even more frustrated. "Dammit Grimmjow, I'm serious!" She pounded his chest.

"I'm laughing because of you. You're not even at fault and here you are, with a red face and fists ready," He snickered, then extending an arm. "Come here."

Nelliel didn't resist and scooted over to the man with her head on his chest and his arm around her. The closure relaxed her, if only a little. Grimm caught a glance downwards and noticed she didn't share in his humor.

"Nel, I know you're upset and worried about how Ichigo and Aizen will react, but don't worry. Once I explain things, they'll realize you did nothing wrong. It's just between me and Renji. I did something wrong, I admit that, so I'll take my punishment. That's all there is to it. You got nothing to worry about. We'll-"

She jerked up her head, eyes wide open. "Nothing to worry about? Nothing to worry about? All I've done tonight is worry! Ever since Ichigo left me in charge of the club, I've wanted to puke my guts out just from the _fear _of a disaster. And boy, did I get one. No, actually, I take that back," Nel held up her index finger, swallowing a gulp of anxiety. "I didn't start worrying tonight. I started worrying the second I left South Carolina. I've been in fear of that man following me and hurting my friends because of the past I've had. I was afraid of him hurting us. But I stopped worrying about him because I swore to myself I wouldn't let my past affect my future. Oh, and _then, _this whole TR business comes up and suddenly, we have to be as discreet as the fucking CIA because we can't afford to reveal who we really are. And to top it all off, you're off going on dangerous assassinations every month and I'm sitting there at home, with my phone next to me, _fearing _a call from Aizen saying _"I'm sorry to say, but Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez is no longer with us. His funeral is first thing tomorrow morning."_ So yeah, I-I'm worried, and upset, and scared-"

"Nelliel," Grimmjow began, but he wasn't so sure himself as what to say since this was the first time he's ever heard something like this from his girlfriend's mouth. This took him by total and complete surprise, that he himself feared that she was changing. Instead, he just comforted her by pulling her towards him and held her in his arms. The alley wasn't the most romantic of places, but it was private and quiet, and that's exactly what they needed right now.

Unfortunately, that moment was short-lived.

The door from the club clicked open and Yoruichi and Shuhei stood at the doorway, looking at all three of the people. Grimm and Nel met their glances and gave them solid, stoic stares.

"Shuhei, go get the drunk," Yoruichi said, and then turned to the couple. "The people have gone home, and now we need to clean up."

"Can you give us five minutes, Yoruichi?" Nel rubbed her face free of tears. "We need to-"

"Nelliel," She cut her off as she walked towards the two, but she only paid attention to the woman. "Now you are most certainly _not _alright. You done lied to me. I don't like being lied to. Honey, it's okay to ask for help. You can't run TR by yourself, especially on the first go. Now, come on, we only gotta clean up and then you can go home and sleep and forget this horrible night ever done happened."

"But what about the people? Were they still suspicious of what happened?" Grimmjow asked as he helped Nel off her feet.

"Don't you worry about that, I took care of them. All you need to know is that they won't remember a thing in the morning."

"And that's all we need to know. Thanks Yoruichi, I owe you a huge one," Nel smiled, but it was a fragile one at that.

"No worries. Now, come help me sweep up the place and we'll be out of this sticky situation as long as no one mentions a _word _of this to the Boss or King," She said, speaking in general.

"Ms. Nelliel!" A muffled voice cried from inside. The door swiftly opened and revealed the petite Mashiro, her big beige eyes wide with alertness and fear. "Rangiku needs you, all of you, right away, it's important!"

Yoruichi thought that the girl was simply over-exaggerating and the only reason that the situation was as "important" as she said was because Rangiku was breathing down her neck. "Mashiro, I'm sure Rangiku can handle her own affairs, she doesn't need us-"

"She said it's code black."

With only a short glance at each other, they sprinted to the office and saw the blonde pacing back and forth in the office. Once she caught sight of them, Rangiku motioned with her hand for them to enter. The seven of them were standing around in the tiny space that was available, but it felt as if kilometers were between them with the dank fog of silence slithering around their very bodies. With the exception of Yoruichi and Mashiro, everybody was somber. Worry, hopelessness, and primal fear was scrawled on each and every one of their faces. All of the angst and tension from the 'incident' prior were mere grains of sand in the desert compared to the current crisis. Some seemed to be handling it fairly well, like Grimmjow or Rangiku, who wore stoic masks; as for the others, they looked ready to crumble to pieces. Yoruichi scanned each person's face, but she didn't know exactly what was going on, or even where the danger was at, something was wrong, she knew that much. Turning to Rangiku, she asked, "Why'd you call a code black? Have you got everyone out?"

"We're the only ones left here," Shuhei butted in. "We checked the cams and everything."

"And the code? Why did you-"

"Just listen," Rangiku piped as she slammed her thumb down on the voicemail button of her office phone, leaning against the wall as she stared at the ground, listening the eerie voice of the message speak.

In the corner across from her, there was Renji and Shuhei, all listening attentively to the voice, trying to pick up anything that they said that might be helpful. But a certain doe-eyed, curious lime-haired girl was in the dark. She looked to her left, she saw Nel with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head buried in her lap; and next to her, was the azure-maned man discreetly holding her hand by her side. Mashiro looked to her right and saw Shuhei swallow his anxiety, but his nervousness wasn't as bad as Nel's. Renji seemed somewhat calm about the situation, so she decided to ask the big question.

"What's code black?"

Most, but not all, stares were shot in her direction, but the girl's curiosity was unwavering—she wanted to know what was going on. A "ssh" was hissed towards her, but she paid no mind to it.

"Code black is…" The redhead started, but his attention was more diverted towards the voicemail. After the speaker stopped speaking, he swiftly whispered,

"A bomb threat."

A silence fell over the hushed crowd, but it was not one of eeriness, but hopelessness. Only the sound of breaths being sucked in and released was heard. As if it was banned, no eye contact was made whatsoever, but that didn't stop the young girl from looking to see how everybody was taking the news. It seemed as if she was immune to the horror and fear that the voicemail caused. If anything was going to happen, she knew she'd have to break the silence.

"So, what do we do now?"

"Nothing," a weak, unfamiliar voice muttered.

Heads turned at the source of the sound and noticed Nelliel with her head raised, but her eyes had already spoken of defeat. "We give in to his demands and he'll leave us alone."

"That's it?" Renji gaped with disbelief. "Can't we send someone to kill him? Just kill him and get it over with."

"Think about it rationally," Yoruichi said. "He managed to get a hold of Rangiku's office number, which is only known by someone with TR intel, then not only would we have to "eradicate" him, but the snitch as well. Not to mention each and every person in TR would have to be interrogated and the culprit would be killed too."

"That's even worse," Rangiku grumbled.

"And why is that? If I recall, you were the one trembling on the phone earlier," The violet-haired woman sniped, causing all eyes to be on the blonde. "Would you not want him to be killed?"

"You're asking me if I want a man killed because he mentioned my past. If that's what you're asking, then no. We should get some information on this guy and what he's got against TR."

"Maybe he's just hired as a do-er. Like to just do the job." Shuhei mumbled.

"Ughh," Nel groaned as she hid away from the world, digging her head into her lap once more.

"What's wrong?" Grimmjow asked softly as the other people discussed among themselves.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"How much did you drink?"

"Three shots."

"But that's nothing. I'll go get ya some water. Maybe it's something you ate?" He asked as he got up and left the room.

A new wave of aches came, and Nel was back to her default position, only being able to hope that her pain will ease and that the argument the other people were having would soon cease.

"There's gotta be a better way than that!" Renji hissed, his eyes narrowed down at Yoruichi. "I _refuse _to let assassins track us, let alone watch my every move! That's fucking ridiculous!"

"You got a better idea? And keep in mind who's _actually _handled these kinds of situations. You ain't been here for at least a year whereas I've been here for a decade. Don't start with me, boy," The black woman glared.

"Why do we have to kill someone?" Mashiro cried, tears at the edge of her eyes. Her shriek caused the entire room to come to an abrupt hush. "Why? We don't even know if this guy is for real or not!"

As if on cue, the sound of maniacal laughter filled the air, but nobody's mouth was moving. Nel knew that voice all too well that it was karma knocking at her door with an unexpected visitor. Raising her head, she saw that nobody else recognized the voice, and that she was the only one in the

"You all are _such _dumbasses. Killing you shits off will be a favor to the world. Just _listening _to your bickering has me cracking up. I couldn't even hold it in."

Rangiku zoomed in on the phone like a hawk, ready to tear it to shreds. "You're just a pathetic excuse for a being, feeding off of people's fears like that. Once we get rid of you-"

"And that's where yer wrong, dear. I'll get to y'all first. Maybe I'll blow the place up, maybe not. But I'm definitely planning on giggling like a newborn once I slit each and every one of yous throats."

"I'd like to see you try," Shuhei dryly snipped.

"Especially yours, Nelliel."

"I got you your water, Nel," Grimmjow popped in as he opened the door, being welcomed by a mob of stares. Stares that weren't so welcoming. "What? Why are y'all staring at me like that?" Looking at Nel, he gave her the water. "Drink up."

"Ah, is that the little fucker, uhm, whathisface, Blueberry! Yeah, that's right! Ya miss me?"

"Who the hell is that?" He looked at Nel, who simply shrugged as she chugged the water down.

"Aw, come on! Ya gotta remember shooting me in the leg!"

"I shoot a lot of people. You're going to have more specific than that."

"How about the fact that I called your fiancée a cunt?"

Grimmjow instantly scowled, but as for everbody else, they got lost around the time 'fiancée' popped up.

"_What _fiancée?" Nel asked, paranoid about what was really going and just how exactly the two knew each other.

"Goddammit, how many times you gotta piss me off? You just fucked up my proposal."

"That's just the beginning of it, sonny. I'm gonna fuck up your lives so bad, you're gonna be begging for me to kill ya."

"Sorry to disappoint, but that's not happening."

"Hey Grimm," Nel piped as she held her water in front of her, seeing slight traces of crimson in there. "What kind of backwater did you give me?"

"I just got whatever was in the fridge. Now, as for you," He looked back to the phone. "I'm gonna track you down and do what I should've done a month ago."

"Don't you mean a couple of years ago?"

"…What are you getting at?"

"Oh, you didn't tell him, Nel? I thought you at _least _told him about me. Tsk, tsk, tsk, and I thought you were a good girl."

The azure-haired man turned around, looking at his girlfriend for an explanation. "What's he talking about, Nel?"

"I'm going to be sick."

"I know he's a real jackass, but I need to know the truth."

"No, I'm _really _sick. Get me a bucket before I puke on your shoes," She barely managed to utter right before she covered her mouth with a hand, but some residue slipped out between her fingers.

"Nel, what's that on your hand?" Renji asked with wide eyes, but as she opened her mouth, a dump of murky, mucus-looking crimson liquid poured from her mouth, and the second she saw her own her blood in front of her, Nel's hands began trembling and she screwed her eyes shut from the horror.

"What are you waiting for? Help me get her to the hospital!" Grimmjow barked as he picked up the choking Nel. "Don't you dare die on me, Nelliel."

"I'm not dying, you idiot," She barely managed to chuckle. "I'm just really tired all of the sudden. Just lemme sleep for a sec."

"You can sleep when we get to the hospital, just stay awake, baby. Just keep your eyes open."

"Grimmjow, come on, I got the lift ready, let's go!" Rangiku urged as she held the door open for the two. She looked towards the rest of the lot. "Yoruichi, you mind cleaning up?"

"Not at all. Just go," She nodded.

"Hold that door."

Before she could even look to see who said it, Renji was in the elevator right as the doors closed.

"The hell you doing here?" Grimm hissed. Renji could've sworn to himself he saw a flicker of amber in his eyes, but he shrugged it off.

"I already caused one situation today, I don't want to make another one."

"Oh, but I can."

"I just need to see if Nel's gonna be alright."

"Someone'll call you. It'll save us the time of carrying extra luggage." He turned to Rangiku. "Go ahead and call an ambulance and tell 'em to wait at the entrance of the subway."

His eyes looked down for a sec, seeing that his soon-to-be fiancée barely had the strength to talk, much less keep her eyes open. "Stay with me, Nel. Stay with me."

Twitching, her eyes flew wide open as she covered her mouth again, looking at the man for a second and then to the floor.

"Go ahead and puke."

She did as he said, and although it wasn't in the least bit romantic, she had to avert her eyes, so she looked up at her boyfriend, bloody mouth and all. He glared at Renji for a second. "Take your shirt off."

"_What?"_

"You heard me. Nel will have a heart attack if she sees blood. Take off your shirt and cover the damn blood up."

Normally, Renji would bicker on and on with the man about how much his shirt cost ($76.99—Element), but given the circumstances, he had no choice in the matter.

Quickly, he stripped himself free of the tee and threw it over the bloody vomit, and then waited uncomfortably with three people in the elevator. Rangiku's eyes wasn't complaining, however.

When the elevator pulled up, they rushed to the subway entrance, where the siren of the ambulance could be heard and within minutes, the truck came. The crew helped Nelliel into the vehicle and Grimmjow accompanied them, leaving Rangiku and Renji behind.

He ordered them before the truck left. "Rangiku, go help the crew downstairs. And bring that dumbass with you too."

"Sure thing," She nodded as the doctors closed the truck's doors.

* * *

Opening her eyes, she saw a room completely decked out in white and the beeping of the heart monitor echoed in her ears. Still drowsy from the drugs she was put on, she thought she was in an asylum or some sort. She recalled working in TR, and then her boyfriend/apparent fiancé getting into a fight with her friend, crying in an alley, listening to a bomb threat from the man who tortured her in South Carolina, and then coughing up blood and passing out. That was it, right?

Her eyes slowly moved from the left to right, seeing all kinds of tubes inside her arms and little wires all about; but she saw no people.

"Hello?" She called. "I don't remember going to a hospital, so if anyone can help me.."

Suddenly thinking she sounded like a complete idiot, she stopped speaking before even more idiocracy came out. The ray of sunshine was now beating down on the bedsheet covering the lower half of her body, making her look towards the window. Despite it being one of the worst days of her life, the sun still managed to shine on, as if nothing had happened.

A knock at the door was heard, followed immediately by a voice. "Miss? Are you awake?"

"Yeah, come on in."

Stretching her arms for a sec, Nel closed her eyes as she let out a yawn. But as she opened her eyes, the person in front of was somebody she _didn't _want to meet.

In front of her, was a man, blue-eyed, dark-haired, tall and tan, who looked rather attractive for a doctor. _Must've just got outta school_, Nel thought. But then it hit her—those footsteps were familiar. It wasn't until she put two and two together that she finally realized who this man was. The infamous Dr. Milovic.

"You son of a bitch!" She gasped as she threw a pillow at the doctor, who avoided the throws. "You're the monster that kidnapped my friend _and _who threatened to kill me! Get outta my room! I'm calling security!"

"Don't bother. I'm a doctor."

"Yeah, and an evil one at that," Nel laughed sarcastically as she reached for the phone, but a cold hand grabbed her wrist before she could.

"Were you the one who was picking at my brain?" He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Were you the one who kidnapped my friend?" She glared daggers.

"…I think we need to have a little chit-chat," The doctor shrugged his shoulders, sitting at the edge of her bed.

"Hmph," Nel turned over in her bed, her back towards the doctor.

"I'll tell you about your friend if you just explain what happened that night," He bargained.

"I don't have to tell you _anything._ _You, _sir, are the one who committed a crime!"

"Yeah, but people like us usually get away with it if we cover our tracks."

Sitting straight up, the ivy-maned woman stared at him long and hard for a good moment. "What do you mean '_people like us'?_"

"They label us 'monsters', but if we're just one of them, then we really can't be _monsters, _now can we?"

"Just what the hell are you?"

"Tell me what you are, I'll tell you what I am."

"I'm a garden gnome. Now, what did you do to my friend?"

"You're awfully stubborn for a patient. I may not be human, be remember who's treating you."

"I don't need your _treatment_, I'm just fine," Nel sneered as she ripped out the tubes in her arms one by one so that she could get out of the hospital bed. The doctor was amused, but made no attempt to stop the patient from getting away.

"You're weak. You're going to lose consciousness if you don't get back into-"

"I said I'm just-"

Before she could complete her sentence, the woman's legs immediately failed her the second she tried to gather up the stamina to even turn the doorknob of her room, and there she was, sitting there on there with her bare bottom kissing the freezing hospital floor. She didn't even need to glance up at the doctor to see that "I told you so" look since it was already playing in her head, but instead, he offered her a hand up and she took it.

"Now, which news should I tell you first?"

"There are no good or bad news?" Nel cocked an eyebrow as she sat on the bed, letting the doctor quickly plug back in the tubes.

"On the contrary, there's plenty of that. I just don't seem them as being "good" or "bad". I lost my emotions when I was human, but in the end, they're more of a hassle than an asset. I would think that you'd agree with me."

"Where's my friend?" The patient demanded, not wanting to make small-talk with the man at all. "And what are you?"

"I'm not "good", that's all I'm saying. And she's just fine, don't worry. She's coming back to New York this week. Don't get so anxious. You keep worrying like that, and your body's going to fail you. Where will you hide your_self _then?"

"That's none of your concern," She piped. "And I_ should _be worried, when she comes into contact with the likes of _you. _Why are you even curious in a human like that, anyway? Just find some other bite to eat, you beast."

"Oh, "beast" is understating it," He chuckled. "But all matters aside, I suddenly come to a realization," The dark-haired man looked up from his charts, and then extended a hand. "Damir Milovic. Pleased to meet you, Nel."

After brusquely shaking his hand, she wiped it on her blanket and then asked, "Did you become a doctor to feed off of people?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Dr. Milovic laughed as he went back to his charts. "Most of these people are sick."

"Ah-ha!" Nel exclaimed, pulling the Phoenix Wright finger on him. "So _if_ they were healthy, you'd totally take advantage, wouldn't you!"

"You know, I'm kind of tired having to justify my actions. I'm going to explain myself, and after that, you can ask no more questions. I'll tell you what happened that night, your friend, and then the news I need to tell you and that'll be it, do you understand?"

"Before that, I have a request."

"Hmm?"

"Prove you're not human. I know you're not, but I need to see it with my eyes," Nel muttered subtly.

"I'm kinda in disguise as a human working as a doctor right now, in case you haven't noticed."

"Don't do a full transformation or morph or whatever it is you do, just show something that'll convince me."

"Fair enough," Damir nodded as he put his papers down on the bed, rolling up the sleeves of his doctor's coat up to his shoulder before holding it in front of the patient. "Now it's human," He said as he extended all five digits of his hand. Microscopic, ebony matter started to coat the skin from nail to elbow until in no time, the once bare, tan arm was now the appendage of something that looked like came out of Freddy Krueger's mouth. His nails or _claws, _to be exact, were at least a couple of inches long, and were just as thick. Curved horns were now sticking out of the somewhat lustrous dark indigo pelt, starting from the knuckles and went as far as an inch below his rolled-up sleeve. "And now it's not. Proof enough for you?"

"Do you mind?" Nel said as she grabbed the hand by one nail and placed her hand over it, closing her eyes for a brief moment before opening them and looking at the doctor. "You're evil, but you're not bad," She nodded as she let go of the hand, looking down at the ground guiltily before speaking again. "I'm sorry for misjudging you, Doctor. I didn't know you were that kind of person."

"Glad you see it my way," He rolled down his sleeve. "Think of it like this: not all angels are good. Some can be evil too. I know, because I've met more than enough of my fair share of evil angels."

"Oh, you have no idea," She chuckled to herself for a bit. "So, you gonna tell me the story or not?"

"You're in no rush."

"What do you mean? I should be out by today, right?" Nel queried, but the expression on the doctor's face didn't quite agree with that.

"I'll tell you the "good" news first," He started, clearing his throat. "Your friend is perfectly safe. No harm came to her when she was away. I know, because I was treating her from her fall the night of that party. The night that you tried to pick my brain, in case you forgot already. I was already treating her brother, and we had met once, but we were talking strictly about her brother's condition."

"How come she never told me she had a br-"

"_Ah!_" Damir interrupted. "No questions! Yes, she has a brother, but I don't know why she didn't tell you. At the party, I was about to leave to catch up on a report I filed for a meeting, but then, she, er, _Rukia, _fell from the sky. Literally. And no, I don't know how, but she kept talking about a crazy woman who pushed her off. I haven't a chance to ask her, but does she do drugs?"

"No, I don't think so. She doesn't seem like the type."

"That's what I thought. But how long have you known her?"

"I'd say…about three months?" The woman guessed.

"Has she said anything about it in the past?"

"Not that I can remember, no. So, after you caught her, then what?"

"She was losing a lot of blood, so I decided to treat her. The bright girl thinks she's invincible and decides to go run in the freezing cold with barely anything on, and she passes out shortly after. Her grandfather orders me to go with him and treat her while she's staying at his estate. I just left the place recently. Aside from being her doctor, I can see why you'd get so attached to Rukia. She exudes that _presence, _you know? I can't explain it-"

Nelliel laughed softly, knowing exactly what the man was talking about. "I understand. She has that effect on me too. Did you talk to her personally?"

"What part of "no questions" do you not get? Or maybe it's the amount of drugs we're giving you. After all, it _is _a lot. But to answer your question, yeah I did. She's not like most humans I've met, much less women. She has a unique…_taste…_to her. Not the most attractive human though, I'll admit that much."

"They're ragdolls, not sirens. They're adequate, in the very least. But those that stand out, they're something. They're the kind you remember for decades, even centuries. Millennia if you loved them."

"Oh?" The doctor turned around with a curious smirk on his face. "Is that supposed to imply something?"

"No, I'm just saying from what I've seen and heard. I already have that position filled, thank you very much, and he's not human. Well, he used to be, but now he's not. Long story," She smiled, hoping he wouldn't interrogate her about it. Then, having the bright idea of changing the subject, she asked, "So, what about that other news you had to tell me about?"

That once glowing smirk on Damir Milovic's face turned into a thin solemn, almost pitiful line of worry. Exhaling a deep sigh as he grabbed Nel's charts, he sat on her bed, staring at her for a moment.

"Nelliel, how long have you been in that human body?"

Not knowing what he meant, she decided not to counter-argue with him about her past.

"I don't know. I've lived for….a _long _time. Probably longer than you. But it's amazing how I look so young, no?"

"Yes, you're youthful. But give me an estimate. 100 years? 500?"

"Try 2,000."

Damir gazed at the woman before him with an unmoving stare, the kind that the gargoyle statues have, but Nelliel stared right back, slightly surprised at how well he was taking it.

"I know, I'm ancient. But as for my human body, I've gotten some _favors _from the "people like us", so I've been able to keep this body for ages. But to be honest doc," She sighed as she stared out the window. "I know I'm weak. I've seen many of my kind die beside me, and truth is, I've lived my life. I've been holding onto this slab of skin for so long, it's nearly about to fall apart."

"Why do you hold onto such a thing for so long?"

"It's complicated to explain, especially to foreigners. It's a cultural and a bit of a religious thing for me."

"Aren't you afraid of someone recognizing you from the past?"

"No, I'm not," She shook her head, reliving the faces and memories of her past in the time it took her to take in a breath. "They're all gone. To be honest, I've lived a lot of lives. I've always paraded as someone else, as I'm sure you have too. We change our identities, so no one will recognize us. And in time, we even forget our own name and mix things up with what happened in our human lives, and what didn't. For me, I seem to be reliving a lot of my past. I have these flashbacks, and sometimes, I'm not even aware of it. Like, as if I'm stuck in the past, and I don't even know that it's 2009 and that my name is Nelliel Tu Oderschvank and that I'm living on a whole different continent. It's scary, in the very least."

"I see. Then let me ask you: why do you live as a human and not what you are? Wouldn't that be so much easier?"

"Ah, it would, but there are so many things preventing me from doing so."

"Such as?"

"My fiancé."

"Does he know about this?"

"No, Doctor," She shook her head. "He does not know I am dying."

"Who said anything about dying?" The man looked at her confusedly.

"I did. Which rises the question that I want to ask you."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I need to ask a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"One only you can do."

"Ms. Oderschvank,-"

"_Please," _She pleaded, her eyes full of sorrow.

"What is with you and dying?" The doctor raised his voice this time, and the veins on his neck were starting to pop out. "I'm a doctor for Christ's sake! I'm supposed to _heal _you!"

"Just hear me out, Damir."

He exhaled a deep sigh, his Arctic eyes avoiding the gaze of the female's. "Fine."

"I fibbed a bit about how old I lived. It's 1954 years, to be exact. But the point is, I lived a long life. One…that needs to end. I was originally a human, you see. But certain events happened, ones that weren't supposed to happen to me, that made me supernatural. But after that, I'm suffered to live as an immortal human who never ages. People think it's a gift, to live forever. Oh, how they're wrong," She shook her head. "It's a _curse. _Do you know what it's like to see the very people you love die while you haven't gotten so much of a wrinkle on your forehead and you know that you've lived ten times their lifespan? My point is, I don't want to suffer anymore."

"So you want me to kill you," He muttered quietly.

"Not exactly. And I don't know anybody else who's supernatural and who can see where I'm coming from. Sorta."

"Say you die, what's your brilliant plan? If you're immortal, then human drugs and diseases won't affect you."

"What about the supernatural kind?"

"They won't work as long as you're in a human body."

"Which I can't get out of because I'm cursed to stay in it."

"So then, what kills your kind of people?"

"That's the thing—we don't die. At least, not of "natural" causes like disease and age. We're forever immortal, but there has to be _something _they're not immune to."

"If you told me what you were/are, maybe I could help."

"No chance," Nel sneered. "No offense, but I'd seem more like a tasty treat than a patient if I told you."

"I promise you whatever you are, I will control my instincts."

"Your word means nothing, but since I want to die anyway," She shrugged. "I'm an angel. Well, a "fallen" one."

"How is that possible?"

"I fell in love with a human. There are consequences. Mine just had to be life imprisonment in a human body. I guess I got what I deserved," She shrugged.

"Angel, huh?" The doctor laughed. "So, do you all hate devils?"

"That's a stereotypical myth. We often worked with devils, believe it or not. We get the good souls, they get the naughty ones, and we're on our jolly way. Me personally, I think angels are the true devils. They're quite malicious actually."

"Go figure. So, how do you kill an angel?"

"You can't. Big Guy up there has a lifetime warranty on us. If we get one single scratch, it's like it never happened. That sucker heals right back up instantly."

"I'm sorry, but I know nothing about killing people from _that _side of the realm. You said you were _cursed_ to live inside that body, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"What'll happen if you remove the curse?"

"I…don't know. 300 years and not once did I think of that. I truly thought that living as an immortal human was the way that my life was going to end. Then you come along and give me hope. I don't know what to say."

"So, just have someone undo the curse."

"But I don't know anyone who dabbles in witchcraft."

"Who says you have to be a witch to know magick? What about gypsies, maenads, sorcerers-"

"Who are just witches with a penis," Nel cut him off.

"But my point is made. I'll strike you a deal: If I help you find your gypsy girl, then you have to swear that you won't tell Rukia any of this supernatural stuff, got it?"

"Wasn't planning on it. Now, how fast can you find a person who knows magick?

"Now before you keel over, what'll be your cover? You need to somehow prove to others that you're not suicidal."

"Well, you're a doctor. Think of something."

"Give me a minute," He paced back and forth, often glancing down at the charts. "You're trapped in a human body, so it probably has to be something from the human world that has yet to be cured. You just recently threw up blood. There must've been something blocking the airflow and instead of air being in your lungs, there was blood. That's it!" He looked up at her. "LAMS! You have LAMS!"

"What's that?"

"LAMS, short for lymphangioleiomyomatosis, is a rare lung condition in which there's massive growth of smooth muscle lung cells, which can cause obstructions in the small airways of the lungs, and these growths lead to the buildup of bigger cysts in your lungs, so that means.."

"Lung cancer!" She squealed, getting a nod from the doctor.

"And since you've had it for about, let's say five years, it's progressed to stage 4 cancer."

"So, will you state the official diagnosis, doctor?"

"Nelliel Tu Oderschvank, you have stage 4 lung cancer."

* * *

A/N: Howdy y'all. It's been a long time since I been on here. Well, I've been busy. Anyways, back to SP. YEAH. D-R-A-M-AAAA! That's how I like it;D I will also be uploading all other story chapters either today or tomorrow, INCLUDING TWO NEWBIESS! So, if you enjoyed read this, be sure to subscribe to my writings to catch my new stories:3 And as always, reviews are always appreciated. Let's try to hit 40! And as always, I love you all for your love and support! Mwah~


	14. A Perfectly Planned Incident

I often wondered what it was like to die. I wondered how I would die. Would I die a slow death by poisoning or would I have to suffer through the pain and agony of a fatal blow? Will I die 21 years or 21 minutes? Would I hang myself or jump off a building? Would I die for someone I loved or die for a complete stranger? Either way, you can tell I thought a lot about it.

I don't _want _to think about it, but I often think what most people tend to avoid. But the question that kept on popping up in my head was, '_What'll happen _after _I die?' _ To tell you the truth, I don't think I'd be missed that much. If anything, four, maybe five people would go to my funeral. What a pleasant thought, isn't it?

They say that animals can sense when a person is about to die. Like, if an old granny is about to keel over, her cat will rest beside her as she passes on peacefully in her sleep. Might think I'm crazy, but animals are probably a hell of a lot smarter than we are. My point being, I think if death is constantly on your mind, and if it's even such a thing to be "sensed", then maybe it's near. Maybe not to you, but someone nearby. Who knows? The cards are in Fate's hands, and she plays to win.

That Friday morning wasn't a great one. I was leaving Gramps' house. And…I was actually depressed about it. I wanted to stay longer. Honestly. Oh my God, you won't believe the stuff I did those past three months. So, I'll be short and sweet and sum it up.

True, the first time, I was a bit _unrattled _by all the stuff going on. My long-lost grandfather, the ghost town and its people, the humanoid creature that attacked me and the dragon (yes, I said _dragon) _that saved my life, and the doctor who checked up on me every now and then. Okay, the last one, I wasn't the least bit nervous about, but I needed his company so I wouldn't go insane. I needed at least _somebody _from home.

Instead of going into depth about the stuff I did, you mind if I just insert my memories? I think it'd be much faster that way. I won't be too thorough, I'll just fill in the blanks with the stuff that happened. Alright, let's roll the movie!

Friday, October 15th, 2009, 4:59 PM

"Rukia, hurry up, they're gonna leave without you!" A slim maid with two high ponytails on the sides of her head hollered as she stepped off the porch of Ginrei's estate.

Hurrying along was a short woman with a mane of ebony swishing about as she scurried to get the last of her things. "Wait, wait a sec! Riruka, don't leave without me!"

"Then hurry up! The gramps is going, with or without you!"

"He's over 60, he can't go that far," Rukia grumbled as she wrapped a scarf around her neck before jogging to catch up with the brunette, who was speed-walking to catch up with the old man.

"You'd be surprised. He's probably in better shape than you."

"I _doubt _that."

"No, really!" The girl with pigtails exclaimed as she pulled down her beige bomber hat. "Just 'cause he's old doesn't mean he doesn't exercise! I saw him doing yoga one time when I had to give him his tea. Let's just say, even at 75 years old, you can still twist your body in ways you can't imagine."

"That…kinda sounds gross," Rukia shrugged. "But how'd he react when you asked for your "independence"?"

"Ah jeez, he…wasn't the cheeriest of elderly people, let's just say that much. I mean, it's not like he flipped out or anything, but he wasn't jumpin' for joy either."

"I kinda feel bad about this," The woman muttered, almost as if she was talking to herself, but the fact that she said it made Riruka stop in her tracks immediately and place her hands on her hips.

"What did you just say?"

"I met you less than a month ago, and here you are, "rebelling" and asking for independence and full of spunk. You were the quietest person I've ever met, and now you're a force to be reckoned with. I hope it's not 'cause of me."

"Well, it _is! _You coming here is possibly the best thing that ever happened to me, honestly. I want to explore the outside world, and see out there for me to see and do, and all the people for me to meet. And _clothes. _I thought I was going to be a maid for the rest of my life and possibly die from my back cracking in half from scrubbing the floor too hard. What I mean to say is," Riruka quieted down for a moment, turning around so the woman wouldn't see her face. "Thank you so much, Rukia. You've completely changed my life. And that's why Ginrei has allowed me to gain my independence early."

"_What?" _The other female squealed as she looked at Riruka, the corners of her mouth nearly up to her cheekbones. "That's amazing! When's the date?"

"February 21st. A whole six years earlier. Can you believe it?"

"Wow, that _is _a cutback. This is all going by so fast. I feel old."

"I can see the start of a worry line on your forehead, now that I look at it."

"At least I don't have crow's feet."

"I do _not!" _The girl gasped as she felt the corners of her eyes to actually see if they were there.

"Rukia! Riruka!" A low voice bellowed whose sound was carried by the wind.

"Ginrei," Rukia nodded as she ran on up the hill. "Come on, let's go."

"I'll go when I feel like it," The brunette muttered as she followed right behind.

As the two were approaching the crest of the hill, two men were already chatting. Their voices were hushed and nearly mute, careful so that others wouldn't hear a word. Ginrei was one of these men. He silently motioned for the guy to stop talking as the girls approached them, and they were both surprised to see a "guest" among them.

"Rukia," Ginrei began. "Riruka. I'm pretty sure you know-"

"Damir!" Rukia grinned as she ran on up to see him face-to-face. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was actually going to stop by to see how you were recovering, but I was told that you all were out, and one of the maids gave me directions, so here I am."

"You didn't have to come all the way up here to just check on me," The woman tried to laugh off her nervousness.

"Don't be daft. Of course I didn't. I needed to check on this one too," He nodded to Ginrei. "And I've heard the view up here is worth looking at, so why not?"

"And you're thinking of hiking in a pair of jeans and a blazer?" Rukia cocked her hip. "Aren't you scared of getting dirt on your dinner clothes?"

"I wouldn't talk back like that to the guy-"

"Who's treating me, yeah, yeah, you're like a broken record. Now, are you going to be a complete stranger and not give a hug to your most favorite patient?" She teased, getting a laugh out of the raven-haired man who had to lift her up to do so, since he was several feet taller than her.

"Once you're done making out, lemme know," Riruka yawned as she focused on filing her thumbnail.

"Riruka has a point," Ginrei butted. "We need to get a move on. Actually, you two go on ahead. Riruka, I need to talk to you."

"About?" The girl eyed him cautiously.

"Your contract."

"I'll leave you two to it then," Rukia nodded as she then turned to the doctor. "Well, you heard the man. Go on, get a move on, doc!"

"Someone's hasty.

"Walk!"

While those two walked forward, Ginrei and Riruka were talking amongst themselves, having a serious, almost serious conversation.

"What about my contract did you need to talk to me about?" The girl asked.

"It seems-" Ginrei was cut off by his own coughing, pounding his chest a couple of times.

"Are you okay, Master?"

After the coughing settled down, he nodded. It appears that I am getting old and weak. A "gramps", like you said. But come, let us catch up with those two so we aren't far behind."

Riruka nodded, but she was silent for a moment, feeling guilty of tossed the word so lightly. "I'm only kidding around when I say that, sir. You know I don't mean it."

"I know, child, I know all too well. But it appears as if you're going to be independent earlier than February."

"Why?"

"My health. It is deteriorating slowly and soon, I will pass on. But before I do, I want to make sure certain things are in order so I have no worries after my death."

"Which are?" She raised her eyebrows slightly, waiting for the elder's coughing to cease yet again.

"So, how's New York?" Rukia inquired, her curiosity as big as the trees that were looming over the forests. "Anything big happen?"

"Oh, nothing major really. Except for the fact that I got promoted to the head of cardio at the hospital," Damir grinned toothily, making the woman squeal yet again for someone else's happiness.

"Oh my God, that's great!"

"I think you're more happier than I was when I heard the news."

"Can you blame me? My doctor's the friggin' head of cardio. I got the best of the best," Rukia giggled as she climbed up the hill, waiting for the man to catch up. "I bet all the little interns must bow down to you or something."

"Hmmm…more or less," He shrugged with a smug smile as he walked up the leaf-covered crest, now behind to the woman. "But one thing I haven't done since my promotion is celebrate."

"What?" She turned around, walking straight into the doctor. The two were on the edge of the mount, and with their combined weight, they both fell into the trough below them, landing into a muddy pile with dead leaves galore.

Rukia had her eyes closed shut the entire shut, and her nails clung onto the material of Damir's sweater, and she slowly let go as soon as she heard breathing. As soon as her nails let go, she cracked open an eye, looking to her left, and then up, and then to her right; but when she looked right in front of her, her eyes widened at the sight of the doctor on top of her.

The body slowly risen, his face hovering right over hers. After picking out the leaves in his hair, he looked at the woman beneath him, her indigo eyes as unrelenting as the man's Arctic ones.

"So, where did we leave off at?" She questioned innocently.

"Something about celebrating my promotion. Ah, yes, now I remember," Damir chuckled as he moved a stray hair out of the woman's face.

"And why didn't you celebrate?"

"To be honest," He exhaled a sigh through his nostrils. "There was no point in celebrating. Most of the other cardio surgeons are either shallow or just wanting to cut some flesh, as if it's some kind of addiction. It's disgusting. I didn't want to celebrate my success with those kind of people. They're envious, bloodthirsty, and naive. They can cut as good as me, but their reasons for doing it and my reasons are completely different. They cut to cut. I cut to save lives. That's why I became a surgeon. So, in short, I didn't celebrate because there was no one really to celebrate it _with._"

"No friends, no family?" Rukia asked with piqued interest.

"Family and friends are outta the country," He shrugged as he sat up, getting off of the woman.

"You didn't even go to a bar to drink or something?" The woman asked as she got the leaves out of her hair. "Not even get some?"

"Is that how _you _celebrate?"

"Well, we're talking about you, not me. But to answer your question, _totally,"_ She nodded with mock approval. "I'm outta control."

"Call me crazy, but I think I just found a way to finally celebrate," The doctor smirked.

"And what is it?"

"Let me take you out."

"I-I'm sorry?" She stuttered, gulping.

"Why are you nervous now? Remember that I saw you in your lingerie before, remember?"

"Yeah, I kind of try _not _to remember that my doctor saw me, boobs and all."

"And I'd like it if you tried _not _to think of me as your doctor. I mean, seriously, I'm not treating you anymore. Just more of a "check-up" doc. All other times, I'm Damir, a guy who just happens to have an interest in you and who'd like to take you out to dinner."

"Umm.." The petite woman stalled, not really knowing what to say.

"It's not a _date, _Rukia. I'm aware of your 'other man', even though he hasn't contacted you at _all-_"

"Oi," She snapped her fingers in his face twice. "That's not the topic of discussion. And if it's not a date, then sure, why not? Nothing wrong with two friends celebrating, right?"

"It's date, then."

"Not a date."

So, as you can see, me and Damir stayed in contact during my stay at Gramp's. Everytime he visited, it made me feel like I was back home, instead on some God-for-saken place out in the middle of the woods.

I didn't know about Gramp's condition until the very last month he lived. I just assumed he had a nasty cold or something. I feel so stupid for not being able to see it earlier. Damir says even with medicine, he only would've lasted about a month or two. I could've used a month or two to still talk to him and finally say what I needed to say, but I was too late.

Helping me cope was no other than Riruka, who had turned to be one of my favorite people. It made me smile just thinking about how much she had changed in those three months. I felt like the Riruka from before was just a ghost of her current self. But now, she had fire in her. It's kinda hard to realize someone's changed right before your eyes, but in this case, it was for the better. Not only for me, but for her own sake. I don't think she could've even looked someone in the eye without stuttering before.

Although I had only known her within those short three months, she and I acted as if we had been sisters for life. Laugh all you want with our stark differences, but it's true! And like sisters, we had our fights. And on particular day, she revealed to me that she wasn't just some ordinary maid.

Saturday, October 31st, 2009, 7:23 PM

"Rukia, what is Halloween?" The tanned youth asked as they walked up Sokyoukyu Hill, waiting patiently on Rukia and Riruka to walk up, although there was a bit of distance between them.

"Hey!" Riruka yelled. "How the _hell _did you climb up there so fast? What are you, some kind of super human?"

"No. I'm just used to excerise. Maybe you wouldn't be so nagging of people if you did something," He replied stoically.

A vein instantly popped to life on the girl's forehead and Tensa saw one of her eyes twitch. "Why you little.."

"Why are you asking about Halloween, Tensa?" Rukia asked with interest, wondering how he came across the term.

"I overheard Mr. Kyoraku mentioning it to his wife while I was delivering his sake, and he said something else about a party in Kay-Beck that he wanted to take her to."

_No wonder, _She thought. "Well, Halloween's a holiday where kids dress up and go door-to-door asking for candy. It's more for kids, really."

"Then why was he so interested about it?"

"It's Mr. Kyoraku. I think as long as there's alcohol involved, he'll celebrate like it's the Fourth of July, New Year's, and Mardi Gras packed in one."

"What?" He stared blankly at her.

"Ya, keep up," Riruka flicked him on the forehead. "You might have something here," She pointed to her bicep, and then to her head. "But you don't have _anything _up here."

"What are you implying?" He narrowed his eyes at her, and the girl only shook her head with a sigh.

"I'm just gonna go take a pee," Riruka waved with a hand behind her, leaving Rukia and Tensa alone.

"So, does Mr. Kyoraku talk about anything else like that?" Rukia piped as she sat under the oak tree at the edge of the cliff, enjoying the warm, lazy atmosphere around her.

"He keeps on talking about a guy named Teron Do, and a woman names Kay Beck. Are they married or something?"

"Those are cities, Tensa. It's Toronto and Quebec. They're in a place called Canada."

"Are they close to your New York?"

"Toronto's kinda close, but Quebec is much farther. If you want to go to Toronto, you can probably drive there in about-"

"9 hours," He said, causing a moment of awkward silence.

"How..do you know that?" Rukia asked.

"It just popped up in my head," Tensa muttered with a confused look on his face. "It's cold up there, in Canada?"

The woman was starting to get slightly scared of the boy in front of her, and his sudden knowledge of the "outside world".

"Did you hear that from Mr. Kyoraku too?"

"No. It's weird, but there's this image in my head and it has this big, green sign that says "Welcome to Toronto" and there was snow everywhere and those machines you told me about, with the four wheels.."

"Cars?"

"Yes, them! There were a lot of columns of them with this little space with white and yellow lines on this grey-ish ground and there were these _blocks _standing upright right next to them. Is New York like that?"

"Tensa, how did you…how did you get that _picture _inside your head?"

"I dreamt it."

"You had a dream about Toronto?"

"I think so. Why? Is it bad?"

"RUKIA KUCHIKI!" A shrill voice yelled, and it could only belong to Riruka.

"Sit tight," She told Tensa before jogging over to where the sound of the shrieking was coming from.

Riruka was standing there with her hips cocked, arms crossed, and eyes a-glarin' at the woman who had just found her.

"What? What is it?"

"Who in their right mind names something after a _dead _person?" She pointed her finger to the stone dollhouse grave, making Rukia chew down on her lip in guilt.

"I thought the name was pretty-"

"Oh, it's pretty. Pretty _dead! _How-That's just so creepy!"

"Oh, shut up. You liked it when you heard it."

"And when I didn't think you got it from a grave! You could've at least change the last name!"

"Well, wasn't it you that asked me to think of a name? You wanted to steal mine!"

"I was different then!"

"Oh boy, were you," Rukia nodded with a sarcastic smile.

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know very well what it means."

"While we're talking about it, is there anything else you're hiding from me? Any dark secrets I should know about? Your affair with that doctor guy? Or maybe a drug addiction?"

"I'm going to be the bigger person and walk away from this, because you know _nothing _about my life," Rukia sneered.

"I know enough to say that you're a liar, a cheater, and a coward."

"Well at least I don't scrub people's floor to survive."

"I'd rather be that than an ungrateful brat."

"What is going on?" Tensa asked cautiously as he walked up to them, making both females turn their heads.

"I'll tell ya what's been going on. She's been _lying _to us. She's no better than the government!"

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her, bewildered. "She's been nice to us all this time. How could you say that she's lying?"

"I can say that she's lying because I _know, _Tensa. Unlike you and your village people, I actually _remember _my past. You all had been brainwashed, but I managed to escape. They're using you as _slaves. _What part of that do you not get?"

"What does Rukia have to do with it?"

"Yeah, why is my name in this?" She asked the girl.

"Your name is in this, because you didn't tell us the truth. You've known us for at least a month and the thought of telling us that we're brainwashed hadn't crossed your mind?"

"Is that true, Rukia?" The boy looked at her.

"Think about it, how would I sound if I said something like that to you? You'd think I was crazy or something, so you can't be mad at m-"

"I'm not mad," He shook his head. "I knew something was odd about this town and its people a long time ago. You just brought the pieces together. I'm just disappointed you couldn't tell us," Tensa solemnly said as he left. "Oh, and don't talk to me again, alright?"

"Tensa," Rukia started, but that was all she could say. Inside, she didn't blame him one bit.

"Well, that about sums up my disappointment in you in a nutshell," Riruka piped. "Was it really worth hiding it from us?"

"If you knew, how come you pretended not to know?"

"To see if you'd tell me the truth. And you failed miserably."

"You think I _want _to keep secrets from people?" She snapped, making the girl back up instinctively. "Trust me, you two are not the only ones in the world who I am hiding my secrets from. Try _everybody_. _Nobody _knows the true me, just little parts of me. So don't you dare go saying I enjoy this kind of shit, because I _don't. _And that's all I have to say about it," Rukia glared before walking down the hill, leaving Riruka.

"Why do you do it?" She asked, halting the woman's feet with her words.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rukia turned her head around. "It's because I'm a coward and a liar. Not a cheater, mind you, just a coward and a liar."

"Instead of hiding from them, why not just tell your friends?"

"Because I can't bare the pity and humiliation. I don't want them to look at me differently because of the _stupid _stuff I did. It's better that they don't know, for their sake and mine."

"What is so bad that you can't open up to someone about your whole life?"

"In truth, everything. I'm ashamed. And yes, I'm running away from those problems, but the more distance I can get from them, the better."

"Whatever, you do whatever you want. Go back to New York and keep living a lie, the hell I care. Just don't do it here."

"Easier than it sounds."

After that, I was by myself, again. I didn't speak to them the rest of my stay, and Tensa was nowhere to be found.

The next day, all maids had the day off because it the first Sunday of the month and they visited their families and friends, leaving me to get some peace and quiet inside the house. I had nothing to do, so I decided to chat up Gramps. Nothing like a family bonding, eh?

Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 11:12 AM

Rukia Kuchiki had just finished her shower with a towel wrapped around her head and a silk bathrobe on her body. When she walked out of the bathroom, the house was unusually quiet, and she was curious as to where all the usual noise and clutter went.

"Hellooo? Anybody here?" She hollered.

"Don't raise your voice in the house, Rukia. You know better."

She knew by the sound of the gruff, stern, coughing that it could only be her grandfather, with whom she'd actually acknowledged as her blood.

Walking across the hall and to the living room, she saw the elderly man sit on the wooden plank balcony with his eyes looking straight ahead at the little creek in front. Rukia recalled when she first came here having a "serious" chat with the old man at that very spot. She wondered if he stared at the creek behind he wanted some peace and quiet, or he was just alone.

"Hey Gramps," She nodded as she opened the screen door and quickly closed it behind her. "Whatcha doing?"

"I was thinking about some matters that needed to be attended to, but all of the employees are currently out visiting their families."

"You want me to do it?" Rukia offered as she sat next to him, her legs tucked under her butt, the exact same sitting position Ginrei was in.

"No, it's fine. I'll wait until tomorrow. It isn't that important."

"So, when are they supposed to come back?"

"Never."

"What? What does that mean? Did they do something wrong?"

"On the contrary, they didn't absolutely nothing. I just decided it was time to release them from their job so they can live their life. I sent the children to their families, and the others, I let them escape to Kyoraku's so they could leave the village. It's about time they know the truth."

"So, you let them go? All of them?"

"Yes. I gave each a bountiful amount of money for them to survive and leave this place."

"Why? After all of these years, why now?"

The man paused as he picked up his cup of hot tea and sipped, not answering the woman's question. She knew that he was just as stubborn as herself, but forcing him to answer would result in…no results.

"Whatever your reason, I support it."

Ginrei put down his chai and looked at his granddaughter, surprised at her answer, although he didn't show it (he looked the same as always).

"I was told by Riruka that she knew all along," He said, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Rukia nodded, remembering the last time she had last talked with the girl. "She left too?"

"She went to Kyoraku's and I was told that he sent her to a friend of his. She'll be fine on her own. Now that she's changed, I have a strong conviction that she can stand on her own. You changed her, you know."

"So I've heard."

"You are more like your sister than you realize."

Rukia was quiet then, not knowing what to say at this point.

"She would've been very proud of you. Your parents too. You've grown into a fine, young, independent woman. How you managed to survive on your own these past two decades is inexplicable, in the very least. You were the fighter of the family."

"So you knew my parents?"

Another series of coughs came again, and Ginrei had to pound his chest a couple of times so that he could breathe. "Why of course. How could I not know my own son?"

"You wouldn't happen to have a picture of them?" She asked patiently, but was disappointed when the old man shook his head slowly.

"I'm afraid not. It seems that I left them at my previous home and I lost them. Every single one."

"Can you at least tell me how they died?"

Sipping his chai, he said, "I think we've talked eno-"

"I have a right to know, Ginrei."

Another moment of silence drifted by, and the old man then nodded. "They were murdered. That's all I know."

"And their names?"

As he was about to answer, a fit of hacking caught the aged grandfather by surprise. Clenching his throat and pounding his chest was all that he could do, but his legs had failed him as he sprawled out on the floor. Rukia kept calling his name over and over again to make him stay awake, but soon, he closed his eyes, staring at Rukia with a gentle smile.

"Hisana would be so proud."

Don't worry, he survived, folks. Luckily, Damir was in the village, and he said that it was just his asthma acting up. Gramps was on bedrest during the rest of my stay, so I had to act as the super maid around the house. Damir had just warned me not to approach the subject of my parents again, because it brought his blood pressure up to the roof. I felt guilty and extremely selfish after hearing that, because back then, I thought _I _was the only one who had it rough.

Being the gentleman he was, the doctor helped me out around the house to lighten the load. He made things fun, even if it was just us two.

Friday, November 13th, 2009, 10:01 PM

"Thanks so much for your help again, Damir," Rukia smiled as she opened the door for him. "Without your help, I might've locked myself up in the attic."

"It's no problem. It's the least I can do for giving me a room to stay while treating Ginrei. By the way, how's he doing?"

"He's getting his rest and he's taking his medication like you told him to. I think he's just under the weather, is all. I mean, at that age, you're not as strong as you used to be, you know?"

"Right. What are you going to do now?"

"I was actually about to head to bed, in case you haven't noticed," She motioned her hands from her shoulders down, pointing to her nightgown.

"It's only," He stopped to look at his watch. "10."

"Correction," She piped as she grabbed his wrist and pointed to the long hand on the watch. "10:_01._ One minute too late. A girl needs her beauty sleep, you know," Rukia smiled as she backed up, standing next to the door. "See you tomorrow."

"You can at spare a moment for socializing at least," He said as he tried to grin his way into staying, but Rukia had seen that toothy grin one time too many.

"Good _night, _Damir," She said as she closed the door, but a hand caught it before it did.

"Wait, I forgot something," He mumbled as he opened the door.

"And what's that?"

"This."

And before she knew it, his lips greeted hers, and to her own surprise, Rukia's had greeted them back. One of his hands were on her cheek while the other slipped around her waist to hold her securely so that the distance between the two was close as close could get. Rukia slowly moved to the edge of the doorstep before breaking apart and said, "Good _night, _Damir," as she closed the door behind her and put her back to it as she slid down to the ground, her cheeks as hot with embarrassment and excitement, whining at what she had just done.

On the other side, the doctor chuckled to himself with a mile-wide smirk that wouldn't come off the rest of the night.

So, yeah, me and the Doctor were kinda sorta friends with benefits. But he and I didn't cross that line. No, not that line, _that _line. You know what I'm talking about about. Yeah, _that _line.

He checked up on Ginrei weekly and to my surprise, he didn't make any advances. I know, I was shocked too. We'd flirt, and maybe a kiss or two, but nothing more than that.

Fast forward a month, the day I left Ginrei's. I was so anxious that day. I was going back to New York, but at the same time, I was really worried about my grandfather. Sure, his health had been improving, and he was now able to walk again with a steady heart, but I knew he was still weak.

Thursday, December 17th, 2009, 5:45 AM

"And here is my number and address in case you need anything, okay, Grandpa?" Rukia said as she handed a slip of paper to the old man. "And if that first number isn't working, then call the one below, and if that one isn't working, then try the other four I put down. One of them _will _pick up."

"Rukia, I'll be just fine. I am 73 years old, I think I can take care myself."

"Don't jinx your luck," She nagged. "Is there anything else you need? Water? Oatmeal? Tea! Do you have tea in your cabinets?" She exclaimed as she ran to the wooden drawers, searching each of them for the little packets.

"Rukia, the man can take care of himself," Damir sighed. "Now, let's go before the traffic gets going. It's a two hour drive to New York."

"You go and put my suitcases in the trunk, I want to make sure he has enough tea for two families. Ah, found it. Now, before I go," She walked to her grandfather, hands on his shoulders, looking him dead in the eye. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself?"

"I need to to survive, don't I?"

"Oh, I'm going to miss your wrinkly, sarcastic ass, Gramps," Rukia whined as she hugged him. "I'll call you as soon as I get home, alright?"

"Don't call twice, because I might be asleep. Now get going, you heard the doctor. Traffic will start up."

"Right then," She sniffed while smiling as she stepped out and went to the silver Toyota below and brought the last of her luggage with her and stuffed it in the trunk before Damir closed it. Rukia got into the shotgun seat, waiting for the driver to get the car started. Waving goodbye, she flashed a smile to her grandfather for the last time as the car drove down the little dirt hill and soon on its way to New York City.

"It's gonna take about two, maybe three hours to get there if we get traffic. You might as well get some rest now," Damir said with his eyes on the road.

"I suppose," Rukia shrugged nonchalantly as she upzipped her jacket and used it as a make-shift pillow to rest her head against the window.

"C'mon now, don't be depressed! You're going home and seeing your friends! Didn't you miss them?"

"That's the thing. I don't know if I still _have _any friends."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it—I vanished without a trace three months ago. For all I know, they could think I'm dead, lying chopped up in a dumpster somewhere. I've been a horrible friend to them, suddenly taking off like that. I don't even want to think about what I'm going to say to them."

"Just tell them you had to care for your sick grandfather who was suddenly dying of cancer and was all alone."

"That's horrible!" She gasped. "But a really good story. Can I use that?"

The man laughed as he glanced at her momentarily. "Sure."

"But what do I say about the fact that Dr. Sex-Me-Up has been visiting me every week? People got their minds in the gutter these days."

"I don't know whether to be embarrassed, turned on, or insulted."

"In a way, it's a compliment."

"Then fuck what people say. If you're seeing a doc, then so what? That's your life. But as we agreed, we are only-"

"Friends, yes. To be honest, I'm really surprised you didn't, er, _advance _towards me. Sexually, that is."

"Oh, I would. But since you've made it clear that you're seeing someone else-"

"You still remember that? That was two months ago that I said that. Anyways, I doubt that guy would remember my face, let alone still be interested in me."

"People can be surprising. At least talk to him."

"How can I? It'd be so awkward for him seeing me after two months of no contact. He is probably seeing someone anyway."

"Maybe he's not. You should hear him out."

"Why are you so interested with my "thing" with him?"

"Because as soon as I know you two are done, I might have a shot," He grinned.

"Don't push your luck, Doctor," Rukia laughed.

Upon arriving in New York City, Rukia once again smelled the scent of hotdgos, gasoline, and cold winter air, reminding her of how much she had truly missed home. Compared to the village, New York was the anteater that could swallow it up.

"Oh my God, it's been too long," The woman sighed with a genuine smile on her face, feeling the excitement pulse through her veins. "Oh! Make a right turn here."

The car parked in the next to abandoned parking lot and the two quickly unloaded the sedan of the luggage and entered the building. But the welcoming that Rukia had expected was far from the subtle one she'd been hoping for.

Doorbells rang as Damir held the door open, waiting for the woman to drag the last suitcase from the car into the mini-shoppe that was the first floor, alerting the staff of a customer.

"Welcome! How may I help you…"

Both heads turned towards the direction of the deep voice, seeing a curly-haired, brunette gape at them with a slightly open mouth, staring directly at the petite woman, who had just realized that maybe it wasn't such a good idea coming home.

"_Shit,_" She murmured under her breath.

"Where the _hell _have you been?" The now upset male walked on over, making Rukia even more apprehensive. "How the hell could you've just taken off like that, huh? People thought you were _dead!_ Hell, they even suspected _me!_"

"I'm sorry, Starrk. And I'll pay back the rent, I promise, I just need to settle back in-"

"What do you mean "settle back in"? If you're moving back, then how come those guys are taking stuff outta your apartment?"

"What are you talking about?" Rukia stared at the man with scrunched eyebrows.

"Repo men," Damir butted in. "He must be talking about repo men. You _did _pay your bills before you left, right?"

Rukia was quiet for a moment, before hastily throwing off her shoes and ran up the stairs, making little pounds with each stomp she took.

Starrk and Damir were left alone in the room, and it occurred to Starrk that the man in front of him was rather suspicious.

"Just how long have you known that girl?" He nodded to the stairs, as if she was standing right there.

"About three months."

"Oh, that's funny, she suddenly took off three months ago. What a coincidence."

"Sure is. Now, I'm going to go help her," Damir plastered on a smile as he went up the stairs, hearing the faint sounds of a woman shrieking in shock. Shaking his head, he quickly jogged to the sound, seeing that it was Rukia standing in front of a door, nearly on the edge of tears.

"No, no, no! Where's my couch, my TV, my cute little ashtray that I bought from the flea market?" She whined, walking into the now deserted house that was covered with muddy footprints on the beige carpet. "They took my food too!"

"Rukia, maybe you can just go to the office and pay back your-"

"Don't be stupid!" She hissed. "I haven't paid those bills in _eight _months! They'd rob me of every little thing I have, and there _still _wouldn't be enough to pay back what I owe!"

"Bring that dresser over here," A heavy voice ordered as men in jeans and tees moved out of the bedroom, carrying the wooden furniture out into the living room, where they were assaulted by the tiny woman.

"Give it back!" She shrieked as she jumped on one of the repo men and made him lose his hold of the bureau and drop it on his foot.

"Fuck!" He cried as he shrugged Rukia off, who had an extremely satisfied look on her face.

"Move out of the way," She growled as she pushed him to the side and took out a drawer that contained her underwear and bras. "If you're going to take my stuff, at least let me keep my lingerie."

"Here," Damir said as he quickly wrote a check to the repo men and whispered to them. "That should be enough to cover that dresser. Buy a replica, and just fill it up with useless junk so it looks like hers. Now, get out of this woman's home."

"Sure thing. But just so she knows," He nodded to Rukia, "If you're found in this home tomorrow, you will be prosecuted by the police. We got orders from our boss in human services. Now, we'll be on our way."

The two men left the dresser there as they left the two, and Rukia just kept looking at the drawer full of undergarments in front of her with a blank stare.

"They took it all," She muttered.

"Why didn't you make the payments on time?" Damir asked.

"I'm supposed to move out of my own home."

"Answer me."

"They even took my food. How am I supposed to survive?"

"Rukia," The man kneeled down and grabbed her arms. "Get a hold of yourself, you're talking nonsense."

"Nonsense my ass!" She slapped his hands away. "It just happened in front of us! I no longer have a home, how the hell am I supposed to survive? How the hell am I gonna get food? How the hell am I supposed to pay for Byakuya's surger…" Rukia stopped in the middle of her sentence, suddenly remembering about her brother. She turned to the doctor. "Take me to him."

"Rukia, you aren't emotionally stable to see him. I can't let you-"

"_Now._"

"He should be in room 439, which is just a right, and then another right. I just called to check in, and they said he's doing just fine and that he's conscious," Damir said as the two walked into the hospital. "I am right around the corner if you need me."

"Yeah," The woman nodded as she kept on walking, searching for that three digit number until she came to its door. Anxiety stopped her from charging on in, and she swallowed her nervousness and took in a breath before knocking gingerly on the door.

"Come in."

A part of her wished she hadn't knocked so soon, but another part wanted to go in and just burst into tears.

_Now or never, _She thought as she turned the doorknob open, seeing his brother in the same bed as he was the first time she saw him in.

He dropped the newspaper he was reading and looked to his younger sister stand in the doorway with a guilty look in her eyes. Something in her had changed, but he didn't know what.

"Welcome back," Byakuya nodded.

"You're…not mad about me leaving?" Rukia asked timidly, suspecting that there was an ulterior motive to his older brother's calmness.

"Why would I be?" He sat up. "Father called me to let me know you were staying at his house for some time. However, I do have some news for you-"

"I know you have a tumor."

"…How?"

"The Doctor."

"Ah," He mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, Byakuya, it isn't your fault," Rukia sat on the edge of the bed.

"You seem to be taking it harder than me, Rukia," Byakuya said as he took a hold of her hand. "We are family. We will endure this. Whatever problems we encounter, we _will _get through this. I am your older brother, and it is my job to watch over you and stand by your side, do you understand?"

"Don't get so emotional," She sniffed as she leaned over to hug him. "It doesn't suit you."

"And neither does acting timid suit you," He laughed softly as he let go, staring back at her. "So, what's on your plate that's making you act so? Other than me and my condition of course."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"I know you better than that to know that's a pathetic lie."

"…I got evicted today."

"_What?"_

"Yeah. Didn't pay the bills before I left. Guess I should've saw it coming."

"Where are you staying now then?"

"I have yet to find a cardboard box. I need to go dumpster diving when it's dark."

"You will do no such thing. You may stay at my house as long as you like. In fact, I _insist. _It's the least I can do for my baby sister."

"I can stand up on my own two feet. But a free home, I can totally accept without hesitation. I'll take good care of it when you're away. Anything I need to do while I'm staying over there?"

"On every first, be sure to say hello to her."

"What?"

"I said, on every-"

Byakuya got cut off by his coughing, quickly recovering.

"I'm sorry, do you mind refilling my glass?" He asked as he gave it to Rukia.

"Sure thing," She smiled as she got off the bed and exited the room.

Rukia walked over to the reception desk. "Excuse me, where do I go to refill water?"

"Allow me," The nurse nodded as she went back into the staff room.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a patient named Nelliel Odverschank. She's a friend of mine," A deep voice from astray said.

_Nel?_

Rukia turned around to the sound of the voice, seeing a mess of crimson in front of her and tattooed ink on both arms of the man. She couldn't help but walk towards him and tap him on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" The redhead turned around, and sure enough, was it a shocker for him to see his childhood friend after three months of constant worry, fear, and anxiety. He picked Rukia up with a squeeze and wrapped her in his arms tightly. "Where the _hell _have you been, huh? Jesus Christ, Rukia, I know you can hold a grudge, but this was going _too _far!"

"Even _I _wouldn't carry a grudge that far, you dumbass," She pounded his chest. "Renji, you have no idea what I've been through. Whatever we were fighting about, I'm sorry, I didn't mean the stupid things I said. I was just-"

A rough slap to the head shut her up, and Rukia pinched his cheek back.

"The hell was that for?" She hissed.

"For leaving without a fucking word. Now, c'mon, let's talk somewhere more private."

"Let's catch up later tonight, alright?"

"I'll drop by your house 'round 8."

"Actually," Rukia winced. "Meet me at Byakuya's."

"Why? Is something wrong with your place?"

"I'll explain it later tonight."

"Miss?" The nurse called. "Your water?"

"Thank you," Rukia nodded, then turning to Renji. "So, tonight then?"

"I'll see you then."

Now that she and Renji were on good terms, they had much catching up to do. She missed having someone to talk about her problems with, and now that her childhood friend was back, she could fill in that hole that had been missing for a while. With a smile on her face, she was happily on her way back to her brother's room, eager to tell him all about what had just happened.

"Hey! I have some really good news to te…"

The woman stopped halfway through her sentence, dropping the glass at the sight in front of her. Her eyes first strayed to the massive amount of blood that was splattered all over the grey walls, and then to the broken window, which looked like it was broken into. Obviously, there was some kind of struggle in here by all the moved and knocked over furniture. Whoever did this came in here with an intention to kill.

Looking then at the worst part of the entire thing, Rukia remained as paralyzed as ever as she looked at her bloody brother.

Drops of the deepest crimson were slowly trickling down the limp hand that hung at the side of his bed and slowly jumped into the puddle that had formed on hospital floor. His face was as fixed as that of a statue's, lifeless and forever still. Byakuya's perfect "O" mouth had two tails of blood trickling from the sides, showing that his now lifeless eyes had shock in them right up until his untimely death.

A deep, cragged gash was made from the gap between his collarbones to halfway through his abdomen, where the cut abruptly ended. It wasn't as neat as it sounded—it was the farthest thing from "neat". Aside from the massive pond of gore that had bled out and settled on Byakuya's stomach, there were other stray cuts and bruises on his body, especially the arms and legs.

What Rukia couldn't get over was how silent this whole thing went down. If she wasn't hallucinating, then surely the 10-ft shelf would've made _some _kind of noise to alert people. And _surely, _Byakuya would've cried out, letting people know that _something _was wrong.

But no. This had all happened within the time it took to pour a mere glass of water.

Falling to her knees, she cried out her now dead brother's out in agony, and within seconds, nurses and even a few doctors came in to investigate, all horrified by the bloody mess. Among those doctors was Dr. Milovic, who wasn't in the least bit surprised about the murder.

He went over to the corpse and closed its eyes with his hand, then looking to the clock. "Time of death, 1:54 P.M. Zip this body up and send it to the morgue for testing."

The personnel quickly got moving and covered the body with a blanket as they moved it several rooms down, leaving just the doctor and the wailing woman.

"I'm sorry," He muttered, but that didn't stop Rukia from crying her guts out.

_I'm sorry for letting this happen._

* * *

A/N: Kinda short chapter, but you have NO IDEA HOW BAD I WANTED TO GET THIS OVER WITH. That's my excuse for the countless errors I (may) have made. iEUGFHAE IFJ. idgaf. I'm just excited I'll bring Ichi back in! And Renji's back :D Woop woop. Anyways, totally random question, but is it weird that while I was writing the "death" scene, I was listening to the happiest shit on Earth, "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles? Anyways, read and review please! A biento, mes amis:]


	15. Cause Without Ya, Things Got Hazy

In my life, I was always alone at one point or another. Starting from my birth, I was an orphan. Didn't have any friends until I met Renji, which was about when I was 6 years old. When I was in my teens, I ran away and survived on the streets for about a year or so until Byakuya found me. I went to Gramp's house and I didn't know anybody in that place. I come back home, and my only distant relative gets murdered in the same building I was in.

He was literally _ten _feet away from me, and I didn't hear a single thing. And then it popped in my head—was there even a "murderer" in the first place? Maybe he could've been so unhappy that he wanted to take his own life?

But then there was the broken window and knocked over bookshelf. He didn't have the strength for that. And most of all, I don't think there was any reason at _all _for him to even do suicide in the first place!

And I'm alone, again. I don't mean to sound selfish, but having that "feeling" come back to haunt you over and over again, you can't help but be "influenced" by it, you know? So when that "lonely" mood gets me, I'm in a rut inside the deepest crack of the Earth.

Thanks to my doctor friend, he managed to slip me out of having to go to Psych to deal with the situation. The last thing I needed were old prunes asking me to go over my feelings until they can finally understand that I am sad.

That evening, I went straight to Byakuya's home, feeling a pang as I looked up at the condo, knowing that its previous owner would never return. With a heaved sigh, I put my feelings to the side and walked up to the doorstep. Turning the knob, I was surprised to find that it was loose.

"Oi," A voice called from within. I peeked my head in and saw that it was Renji, who was setting down a box of things.

"Renji! What are you doing here?" I closed the door as I walked towards him. "And what's in the box?"

"Food. You're going to starve without it," He opened the fridge and started stuffing it. "And are you kidding? Leaving you alone is about as good as letting a kid drive a car."

"You're so kind."

"Am I? I've been told I'm a Saint. Imagine that."

"Oh Lord," I shook my head. "I appreciate you stopping by, but I can take care of myself."

"That right there," Renji pointed a banana at me. "Is bull. Besides, I'm not leaving this house until you tell me exactly _what _happened and where you went."

"You're making that face," I groaned.

"What face?"

"The stubborn ass face. You really _won't _go."

"Damn straight."

"Give me that wine bottle next to you. Me and me friend Zinfandel have a lot of catching up to do."

"Don't be selfish now."

I told Renji everything that happened, but not _everything. _As in, the part about me seeing a ghost, nearly being killed by a monster, and then riding on a dragon. Even now, I sound pretty stupid writing this as we speak. I just told him the _normal _stuff. Maybe a little bit too much _stuff._

* * *

From 3 p.m. to midnight, me and Renji just talked all night long as we slurped down whatever traces of alcohol we could find. I was on the couch, sitting upside down with my legs over the couch as I stared for what seemed like ages at the man in front of me, who was sitting upside-down on the couch as well.

You see, when we get talking, we don't behave quite like "normal" people would. Instead of sitting down and having a sip of coffee, we try to talk and do something else to distract ourselves. Emotionally, we're two bipolar messes, he and I. So, we try to get it off our chest while not confronting it "directly". And the best part is, when you both are drunk, that _liquid courage _will help get the hardest stuff off your chest while the person on the other end is almost about to pass out, so there's no guilty conscience about not telling them. Excellent strategy, no?

"So, what's the deal with you and this doctor person?"

"Hum?" I blinked a I slowly sat up, only to lay down on the couch.

"Are you dating, fucking, what?"

"You pervert! What makes you even _think _that we'd do something like that?"

"The way you talk about him, the fact that he wants to take you out, _alone, _and _everybody _knows what happens after dinner."

"If you're talking about-"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," He snorted as he clumsily got up, and humped the air and guffawed as he sat back down, and it was then that I realized he was totally drunk out of his mind. His cheeks were slightly reddened as he continued to smile that stupid grin of his.

"Well, I don't really see him like that. I mean, he's hot, don't get me wrong,, I just don't wun a boyfriend right now."

"Come _onnn!_" He whined. "You haven't got laid in _yerrs._"

"Renji!" I hissed. "You don't know that!"

"I am your confidant. You tell me every little thing. And I know for a fact that you haven't slept with that doctor...yet."

"And just _how _did you come to that conclusion?"

"You aren't blushing when you talk about him."

"That's so stupid. I do not blush-"

"Yeeep," He nodded. "You do. But why not the doc? You're not still hung up on John, are ya?"

"Why would you think that?" I hiccupped. "I haven't even mentioned him."

"That's why. You avoidin' bringing up his name on purpose?"

I shook my head. "It's just weird."

"Whut is?"

"Me and him. I take off for three months, and he hasn't as much as tried to call me."

"Oh, he was lookin' for ya," Renji nodded as he laid down next to me, staring up at the ceiling. "Was plenty worried."

"Really?" I murmured, feeling a stab of guilt for thinking that he had given up from the get-go. "But don't you hate him? Why aren't you trashing him?"

"'Cause me and him talked it out. While you were gone. Both realized we were stupid for startin' up shit for nothin'. All that mattered was finding you, But now that you're back, everything's great!"

"Yeah," I stared up to the ceiling. "Just peachy."

"Ain't you happy? Now you kin date 'im without no complicachins!"

"Yeah, and my brother being killed is just one less "complication", right?"

"I didn't mean it like that," He groaned as he sat up, looking me down. "I know you're depressed right now, and ya have evry right to be. But _evenchully, _ya gonna have ter move on. And you got a chance between lover boy or that _special _doctor ya got."

"No," I whined. "I don't want either right now."

"Yeah, _right now. _But later, are ya still gonna want to be lonely?"

"…Maybe."

"Rukia."

"Hm?" I looked to my right, only then realizing that it was too late to undo what I've done. That is, kiss my best friend.

Call me cliché for blaming it on the alcohol, but Renji had taken a swig too many. I was nowhere near where his mind was drifting off too. He was just drunk out of his friggin' mind. He didn't mean that. So, I wasn't as "shocked" or "upset", or even "disgusted" when this happened. Nope, I just acted normal. Ish. Since it wasn't just a peck, more like a "in the moment" kinda thing, I didn't want to do anything that'd squash his ego. Heaven forbid you "emasculate" a guy for saying the wrong thing.

After that deed was done, he backed up and asked me, "So, you're telling me you'd want to miss out on that?"

"Maybe I'd miss it. But just a little!"

"At least I know you're definitely straight."

_God, are you trying to tell me something with this issue that keeps popping up?_

"And I know that," He added. "That you definitely need somebody. Like it or not, you're not okay."

"_EH?_"

"You're not okay, because you haven't been with somebody in…a year? Two?"

"Three," I hung my head.

"Exactly."

I shook my head. "So what? I can be alone if I want to!"

Renji gave me a look that _specifically _asked, dull eyes and all, _"Do you really want to?"_

"I'm going to bed!" I huffed as I hastily got off the couch.

"You're going to sleep in your dead brother's bed?"

"Of course not!" I hissed. "The guest bedroom."

"You want me to join you?"

"That won't be necessary. You can sleep on the couch."

"Rukia," He whined. "I'm gonna freeze my ass off."

I smiled maliciously. "Then _you _sleep in Byakuya's bed."

"I'll do that."

"Alright then," I walked off into the hallway.

"There's no spiders or nothin' in there, right?"

* * *

Roughly half an hour later, the house was silent, and I just got out of the bathroom, ready to hit the hay and drift off into slumber. Only thing was, I couldn't. Hell, I don't think anybody sleeps after hearing a relative died.

Turning the light switch to the lamp off, a sigh escaped from my nose as I laid on my side, staring at the window. Bustling cars and buildings all lit up stood across from me, and the view of New York from where I was was absolutely fantastic. It was like a city that never sleeps. People always on the street, stores open almost all day long, it really was like another world. The amber glow from the street lamps was just the final touch to it. Made it seem like an abstract painting. Unfortunately, I was left out of that "picture" and was in that world's inverse, where it's dark and cold. Yeah, I'm a little depressing, I get it. Not like I'm gonna jump for joy anytime soon. I need time to think about things. But time is not enough.

I tried not to think of Byakuya, but trying not to just backfired. He truly was the ideal "big brother". Protective, loyal, and full of pride. I, on the other hand, was reckless, emotional, and acted on a whim. Not so much of a good comparison. I wondered if he hated or loved Hisana. I wondered if he was close with Ginrei.

"Shit," I whined as I turned to the other side, only to roll into something warm, boney, and rather big. Doesn't take a smart one to figure this one out.

"Hellur," A voice giggled.

"Renji, how-when the hell did you get here?"

"I had to be _reeeeeaaalll _quiet so I wouldn't letcha hear me. And thank god this bed ain't squeaky."

"Get _out _of my bed."

"D'aww, c'mon. I'm _cold. _And you're lonely, so win-win!"

"You're going to be cold _and _lonely if I kick you outta my house."

"Rukia, lemme just sleep here. I'm already sleepy, I won't do nothin', I promise."

"It's _anything, _dumbass," I sneered as I turned over. "…And you promise no tricks?"

"No tricks."

"Fine. But if I so much as feel a hand, you are _out._"

"Yes ma'am."

"And stop hogging the blanket," I groaned as I tried to pull the cloth, but instead of the blanket coming towards me, the barely conscious man snuggled up against my back instead and slipped an arm around my waist, pulling my body closer to his.

"Renji Abarai," I hissed. "I warned you. So, get the _hell _outta my be-"

"Shuddup," He groaned. "You're cold too, I can feel the goosebumps on your skin. You don't have to be a bitch and act like you're okay, 'cause you're not. You need time, sleep, and closure, so shut the hell up and go to sleep."

And _shuddup _I did. He cracked the code before I did. Renji's may have been drunk, but he's not _totally_ stupid. There's still some brain in there.

"You're right," I said, not believing my own words. "You're absolutely right." I turned my head to look at him. "Closure is just the thing I've been avoiding."

"So why reject it?" He talked with his eyes closed. "You gotta talk things out, ya know? And tomorrow, you need to tell your friends what happened so they can help you get through with this too."

"Pft, what friends?" I scoffed.

"The ones down at TR?"

"Oh, you mean at the place where I no longer work at?"

"What do you mean? You quit?"

"No, I mean, I think I'd be fired after being gone for so long. I don't blame Boss if he hired a bimbo to replace me."

"Nah, nah. He was looking for you too, believe it or not. Said he missed that drink you made. So, some people had to take extra shifts, but nobody replaced you for good. Even though you hadn't even got to work one day _officially_."

"And that's the embarrassing part."

"Why don't you come with me and we'll stop by and shock 'em, eh?"

Shrugging, I wasn't really up to it. "I dunno."

"I'll cook tomorrow if you do it."

I had to roll over and look him in the eye about this. Rarely, if _ever _did this man cook, and when he did, the food was to die for. I never knew why he didn't cook often. "Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert?"

"Hey now, I was just talking about one, singular, _uno _meal. Not a whole buffet."

"Then I won't go."

"What are you, five?"

"On the outside, yes."

I heard the slight sound of a chuckle, then feeling the bony chin rest on my collar bone and a head resting in the crook of my shoulder with part of his messy, bloody mane hanging over.

"Thank you," I smiled in the darkness.

* * *

When morning came, I woke up alone, and the sound of the dishes clanking was the first thing I heard, which could explain the missing body from the bed.

Groaning, I dropped my head back to my pillow and rolled over. I let our a bear yawn as I looked over to the window, seeing that people have already got out of their bed, unlike me.

"Fuck!"

"Renji?" I asked with a mix of suspicion and curiousity, wondering what could be going on.

"Oi! You up?"

"Yeah," I walked out the room and to the kitchen, seeing the man pour water over his hand. "What happened?"

"I got burned by the oil. Oh, by the way, you're welcome."

"For what?"

He jerked his chin in the direction of the counter, and I saw that there was an egg omelet that was awaiting for me to devour it. Just looking at it made my tummy growl.

"I'm surprised you remembered your little promise, being as you were drunk out of your mind yesterday," I sat down on the chair beneath the counter and dived into the meal.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Just keep your promise."

"Remind me again what was my end of the deal."

"To stop by TR and prove to everyone that you're very much alive."

"Darn, that was _today_?"

"You're not getting out of this one, Rukia. You _will _meet your friends."

"Why are you so insistent on me meeting them?"

"Because I made a promise," Renji muttered as he moved his omelet out of the pan and to his plate.

"May I ask to whom?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Lots of people. I promised them as soon as I saw you, that I'd drag you back there, kicking and screaming."

"Okay, them _who?_"

"You know," He bit into his breakfast. "Your friends obviously."

"I can take a hint. Obviously, whoever you promised didn't want me knowing that they missed me that much, so I won't ruin the surprise." I grabbed some bread and broke it. "But gimme a hint?"

"Eat your omelet before it gets cold."

"You're a real bitch sometimes, you know that?" I sneered.

"Right back at you."

"Anyways," I mumbled, changing the subject, "What do I do about the fact that all my stuff's been taken?"

"That's another reason why we're going down to TR. First, we tell the people you're not dead. Should make their stress drop down quite a bit-"

"What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"Let me finish," Renji butted. "After you make your entrance, then you will explain your situation about Byakuya and the repo-"

"I think not!" I stood up in my chair, finally eye-to-eye with the man. "People are going to think I'm some kind of pathetic beggar! And they'll have the upper hand because I'll have to owe them something."

"So, you're saying you'd rather starve in the same old clothes you wear everyday rather than do a couple of favors for some people?"

"…When you put it like that-"

"That's what I thought," He grinned smugly. "So, after begging-"

"Politely asking," I corrected.

"You will then have a chat with Boss man about your job. After all, you need _some _kind of income, right?"

"True."

"Now you see that your visit to TR will have more than one purpose, all of them, really, for your own good. Not that difficult of a task. But you'll definitely need something else to wear."

"What's wrong with this?" I gawked at him, pointing to the boxers and tee that were a size, maybe two, too big for me. But they were comfortable.

"Other than the fact that it looks like a cleaning cloth?"

"Hey!"

"You need clothes too. Don't forget to ask for them while you're at TR. Come to think of it," He mumbled as he fetched out his wallet from his back pocket and passed

two Benjamins towards me. "Go on a little spree. Meet me at the corner of Madison and 52nd around noon-ish. Then we'll go to TR. Actually, better yet so you just don't get some clothes at Goodwill, I'll go with you."

"Pah!" I laughed, nearly choking on my egg. "That's the first time I heard that come out of your mouth. Are you sure you want to do that? I can take my time and be _reaaaal _slow."

"As long as you're wearing something that won't embarrass me once you walk in, that's fine."

* * *

Fast-forward to the part where we're at TR's door, and I'm too nervous to walk in. I can't even touch the door handle without my hands shaking.

"Anxiety much?" Renji teased as he coolly opened it. "After you."

"Fuck you," I hissed as I walked in. At first, people didn't notice and they were acting normal. But then, the sounds of whisper started to gradually increase, and _"Oh my God," _was starting to be repeated over and over like a song on repeat. My first instinct took control and I took a step backward, but I bumped into Renji, who placed both hands on my shoulders.

"Keep your cool. Don't lose it until you see somebody you recognize," He whispered.

"Who are these people?"

"Boss hired a couple of extras to increase security around here. Although they're the ones gossiping about your _premiere, _stay on your toes. Because if you get on their bad side, you're on your own."

"They're deadly?" I turned back with a confused look.

"Fatal. Like poison," He muttered, then slapping me on the side of the head. "Have fun!"

"Where are _you _going?"

"To work, of course."

"So you _did _have an agenda," I sneered.

"Hell yeah," He laughed as he passed through the golden edged, glass double doors as the man got lost in the crowd of gamblers, roulettes, and poker machines.

"Piece of shit," I muttered as I tried to shake off my anxiety, but the crowd of staring eyes didn't help one bit.

I felt a heavy tap on my shoulder, and turned around, thankful to finally see a familiar face.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Ms. Kuchiki," The woman with long blonde hair and big boobs said. I would've hugged and said, _"Oh my gosh, it's been forever since I last saw you!" _but alas, I forgot her name.

"Haha, uhm, yeah," I smiled as I scratched the back of my head. "What's up?"

"What's up? Is that honestly how you planned to greet people after coming back? You know, people thought you were dead. I didn't think so. I knew you couldn't just die like that."

"Well, I'm here to stay, whether they like it or not."

"And you haven't changed a bit," The blonde smirked. "You mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"What were you _really_ doing at Aizen's party?"

"Oh, that was so long ago, I can hardly remember the details."

"You remember that bomb that went off?"

_Oh, so you're _that _chick._

"Rangiku," I started, trying to buy myself some time to think. "Nobody saw that coming. Except for the criminal, but still. I have nothing to do with it. I was just as affected as you were-"

"That girl that blew up, she was my friend. I don't think you and I are in the least bit similar on those terms. You don't know what it's like to have someone just taken from you like that, so don't act like you-"

"Actually I do," I stood my ground, taking in a breath. "My brother was murdered right behind my back in a hospital room, a bloody mess. You still think that we're not on equal terms?"

The woman was silent, but it was clear as bell that she was controlling herself.

"I'm going to say this only to you once, do you understand?"

"I'm not deaf, I can hear just fine," I glared.

"Good," She bent down to whisper in my ear. "You may be real chummy with Boss, but that doesn't mean you are with everybody else. Keep that in mind if you're _truly _here to stay. I'm going to let go of you now, and you better smile back if you want to convince people that we're "friends"."

I did as she said, plastered grin and all. She smiled back in response before leaving.

"Oh, Rangiku?" I called, making her turn around.

"What?"

"Regardless of what you think, I really am sorry about what happened that night."

She stared at me for a while before giving a single nod and disappearing in the small crowd of employees swarmed at the bar.

"Wow, someone sure ain't on the welcoming wagon for you. I'd hate to see that you're not welcome here, because you definitely are, regardless of what some slut says."

I couldn't help but laugh, tracking the voice to my far right. My eyes looked in that direction, and I saw a man with bright azure hair chuckling as he came towards me with arms slightly outstretched for that welcoming hug.

"Well, are you gonna disappear again?"

"Nah," I shook my head. "After disappearing, I've come to really miss home. Where's Nel? I haven't seen her around."

"Way to notice me," Another voice said, which I instantly recognized as her's. She popped up from my left and lightly punched the side of my arm.

"God, you have no idea how happy I am to see your faces," I paused for a moment, trying to not let my excitement get the better of me. "Can we talk somewhere more private?"

"Come step into my office," Nel grinned as she led us to the lobby room, and then down a couple of hallways before opening a door and waiting for the two of us to enter before closing it.

"Now," She said, pulling her office chair in with the others so that she sat next to Grimmjow and that I was across from them. "Where the hell you been?"

"It's a _really _long story, so I'll just sum it up," I swallowed my anxiety, trying to clear my head in a second so I wouldn't digress on anything stupid. "And some parts are going to sound _really_ bizarre, like as if it's from a fucked up version of a Brothers Grimm tale, so don't judge me."

"Believe me, we don't judge," Grimmjow snickered, but he was smacked on the wrist by the lady next to him.

"What he said. Now, go on."

* * *

Like with Renji, I explained everything, but not _everything. _In this case, I left out more.

"Holy shit," Grimm scratched his nose and then turned to Nel. "You don't think that woman was-"

"Yeah, it was," She nodded solemnly.

"What, what?" I asked, feeling left out.

"That bitch," The man began.

"That woman," Nel cut him off. "Was John's ex."

"Oh my God, that explains _everything!_ I could see why they broke up, being that she's a little, well,_ psychotic!_"

"A little?"

"What he means is," The woman looked at her beau, and then back to me. "Well, yeah, she's fucked up. Avoid her at all costs. She's no good. But she hasn't been near TR in ages, so as long as you're here, you're safe."

"Speaking of which, that reminds me of something," I said, then looking to Grimm. "Do you mind if we have a _girl _talk?"

"Knock yourself out."

"_Ne la seduit pas maintenant,"_ She said in a completely different voice, which totally shocked me. I didn't know she could speak French, did you?

"_Qu'importe, elle se porteras bien. Je suis surpris qu'elle a survecu aussi longtemps, pour te dire la vérité_," The man spoke, in a different tone as well.

"_Sortez déjá,_ Grimmjow," Nel said in almost a warning tone, and he shrugged as he closed the door behind him.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, puzzled.

"Oh, just some French," She acted as if nothing was weird. "His family's French, and I eventually learned the language and we just like to throw it in every now and then. So," Nel paused. "What did you have to talk to me about?"

"Um," I blanked, trying to recall just what I wanted to tell her. "Oh yeah, I've heard from Renji a couple of things about John…"

"Uh-huh?"

"And I don't know what to do. I'm kinda at a fork in the road."

"Oh?"

"There's this other guy, who popped up when John wasn't around," I muttered, feeling like the kid who got caught stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar.

"Who's the other guy?"

"This doctor, Damir, who's been taking care of me the past couple of months. He was also Byakuya's doctor, but since the incident at the party, he's just been there for me. I probably would've gone insane were it not for him."

"Hmm," Nel nodded, but the look on her face didn't seem that approving of the doctor.

"Did I…say something?"

"No, no, it's just I need time to process what you told me. But what did Renji tell you about John?"

"Only that he looked for me while I was gone."

"He's damn right about that. Honestly, and I'm not trying to say this to influence your decision or anything, but he was like a ghost over here. I'm not saying that he was on his knees crying, no. But he didn't seem like himself. You remember how I was when Grimm was away?"

"Yeah," I laughed softly. "You really _weren't _yourself then. Speaking of which, when did he get back?"

"A couple of days ago actually. He just popped up outta nowhere."

"Well, you must've been really surprised to see his face."

"Oh, you have no idea," She smiled. "Now, what are you going to do about your little dilemma?"

"I've been thinking about it all day, and I think I should stop seeing Damir. I can't involve him in TR and everything. But it's not like I can instantly bounce back to John. He is probably seeing someone else anyways."

"Nope."

"Huh?"

"He's not," She repeated. "He's been doing a lot of business stuff to keep his mind off of things. Smart boy, that one."

"In your opinion," I spoke as I fidgeted with my hands. "You think I got a shot? I mean, it's gonna be really awkward talking to him again."

"Y'all weren't anythingto begin with, right?"

_Well damn, way to put a crimp in my day, Nel._

"Yeah," I half-heartedly agreed with a shrug. "You're right."

"So I don't see any excuse _not_ to talk to him."

"You're right," I nodded with a mile-wide grin as I got up out the chair and headed for the door.

"And Rukia?"

"Hmm?" I turned around.

"You don't have to be ashamed to ask for help, you know. You're more than welcome to live at my place if you feel uncomfortable at Byakuya's."

"Thanks, but I'm good. Oh, before I go," I bounce back before stepping in the doorway. "Where is Boss's office?"

"He isn't in right now. But I'll be sure to let him now you dropped by."

"Thanks, Nel. Do you want to come over for coffee sometime?"

"That sounds great. And one last question."

"Yeah?"

"When is your brother's funeral? Me and Grimmjow would like to pay our respects."

Oh shit, I haven't even thought of that. Not to sound totally shallow, but the only thing I thought of was how much this was going to put a dent in the wallet I called my bra, because I was too cheap to even buy a wallet.

"I...need to decide on the last minute details before arranging the date. I'll call you when there's an official date."

"Alright, I'll see you later then."

As I walked out, I couldn't help but feel like shit for not even thinking of Byakuya's funeral. He would've totally had this done by now if _I _had died. I am such a horrible person.

I had done my deed of the promise, so I saw no point in being here. It was starting to be a bit unwelcoming. I went to the casino room and tried searching for Renji, but with so many drunken gamblers there, I was starting to feel a bit unsafe.

"Can I help you, Miss?" A nearby waiter came over to me.

"Uh, yes, I'm looking for a friend of mine. He's tall, had red hair, lots of tattoos?"

"He is in the lobby, miss. Just take a right from here and you'll be there."

"Thank you," I nodded before heading over there and seeing the redhead, with a slightly irritated look on his face. "Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?" I asked.

"It's nothing," He growled. "C'mon, I'll take you home. I need to get away from these shitheads."

* * *

On the way back, Renji didn't say very much, he just looked angry. I think one of the veins on his forehead were about to explode. It was just so 3-D, I didn't even need those nerdy glasses to see it.

I crashed on the couch and snatched up the blanket from the floor as I shimmied and adjusted myself for a nap, but someone obviously was intent on ruining my day.

"I heard ya spoke to Grimm and Nel."

"Yup," I yawned.

"How'd it go? Did you tell them?"

"Yup."

"Everything?"

"Just what I told you."

"Including the doctor?"

"I told Nel."

"Why not Grimm?

"He's a man. He doesn't care."

"And me?"

"You're a man that cares. Kinda. Sorta. I dunno," I rolled over.

"And Boss?"

"Wasn't there today. Nel said she'd let him know I want to talk to him."

"Well, I'll be damned. You _socialized!_"

"Woop woop."

"What's your problem now?" He groaned.

"I want to _sleep_," I muttered.

"It's only 2 o' clock. How can you be tired?"

"Socializing is hard work."

"Whatever, I'll leave you to sleep. But don't forget to take a shower. You still need to work, you know."

"I don't even know _when _I work. I told you, I need to talk to Boss."

"Aight, see you."

"Whenever," I held up a hand as I heard his footsteps go to the door and the sound of it being closed and locked from the outside. Finally, I can go to sleep in peace.

And just when my consciousness had _started_ to drift off into slumber, my phone rang. For the first time in three months, it rang it just had, I mean, _had _to ring at this precise, specific, _exact _moment. God was punishing me for something, I know it.

My hand clawed for the cell under the table and stuck it under the couch cushion so that the sounds could be muffled. After one ring, two, three, four, it finally ceased and I sighed in contentedness.

I looked to my side and noticed that my hair was particularly dirty. I haven't showered in a while, since, well, I don't need to explain to you for the umpteenth time today. The thought of a hot, bubbly bath instantly made the corners of my mouth curl up with pleasure. Just thinking about having that time, all to moi—made me jump off the couch and run to the bathroom, not giving a shit in the world about anything else (well, not literally, but you know what I mean).

As I got stuff set up, I heard that annoying sound from earlier still persist as I turned the bath faucet off. Stomping my way to the couch, I marched over there and flipped over there ouch as I clawed for my phone, angrily flipping it open.

"_What?"_ I hissed. "What do you want?"

"Well, someone sure isn't happy to be back. I'm sorry that my employee isn't getting into the groove of the city life yet."

With a stoic face, I shut up and looked up at the ceiling, thinking of how much fun fate, karma, God, any one of them must be having at watching my life. It's just one exciting thriller/romantic comedy.

"May I ask who this is?" I inquired, needing to hear the words for myself.

"Now, come on, Rukia. You haven't been out of the city for that long. Surely you'd at _least _remember what the voice of your _Boss _sounds like, right?"

And now I can shoot myself.

"Forgive me for not remembering the _one _time I actually made contact with my Boss, which over the phone, need I remind you."

"Ah, so you _do _remember."

"Yes, I do," I talked while walking over to the bath and getting in. "So, if you're calling, I can assume that you got Nel's message?"

"Actually, no, I just got into town myself. I was in Quebec dealing with some financial affairs. But that's besides that point, why did she need to tell me?"

"Hold on a sec," I set the phone down on the slab of marble for hand soap as I sank down in the warm water, trying to clear my head as thread-like black tentacles floated under the surface. The water was a little hot, but not to the point where it was boiling. Sitting there in the little riverbath tub, I was alone, like I wanted, but I was quickly starting to resent that.

"Hello?"

I stayed in for a moment more, not wanting to return so quickly to the present.

"Rukia, you there?"

"Yeah," I hollered as I dried my hands and face. "I'm here."

"So, what was it that you needed to tell me?"

"This is going to sound weird, so I apologize in advance, but I'm in no condition to work."

"And why is that?"

"Because I found my brother lying in his own pool of blood in a hospital room in which I was ten feet away from. I'm sorry, but I can't work, much less talk to people because of that experience. It hinders my every move, thought, and word."

He was quiet for a split second before speaking again. "I'm sorry to hear that. And I understand where you're coming from. You haven't done anything stupid because of it, right?"

"I've done some pretty stupid things in the past, so I don't think what I do now would quite measure up to those standards."

"Such as?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I snapped. "Sir."

"That's perfectly fine, just curious. So, will a month be enough time for you to work again?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you can't grieve forever. You and your brother must've been close, but you can't be stuck in the past. He would want you to look ahead to the future."

"You mean the one that I don't have?"

"Pardon me for saying this, but you've changed, Ms. Kuchiki. And quite a lot, from what I'm hearing so far."

"Well, pardon _me, _but sometimes change is needed to live. Now, I'm going to be blunt—my emotional state is capricious, to say in the least. I can not_, _and _will _not work until I think that I am stable, regardless if I make any money. I may be grieving, but I'm not stupid. I can survive on my own for a while."

"And will you get kicked out of _that _house too?"

My eyes blink twice and my lip slightly drops, puzzled as to how he found that out. "How did you-"

"Nel told me."

"So, you _did _get her message.."

"Indeed."

"So, you lied."

"Hmmm, yes."

"Why?" I shook my head.

"To test you. I don't trust people myself, so I'd like to hear the truth from them in another way. Hope you don't mind."

"Well, I do. Don't do it again."

"Someone's rather feisty. Do you recall exactly _who _you are talking to?"

"A liar. And a good one at that."

"Why, thank you," He chuckled. "But more importantly, I am your supervisor, and you are my employee. I won't tolerate your backtalk."

"Or what?"

"You don't wanna know."

"You'll kill me, is that right?"

Silence rang again, but this time, I was the one to break it. "I know about the _jobs, _Boss. Although you may try to hide it, the secret's already out. You hire assassins to kill people, and end their lives, just like that. Well, if you want mine, then you're more than welcome to take it, because honestly, I'm tired of this bullshit I'm putting up with. But first, you can fuck yourself, and then hire a hitman."

"You are just one-of-a-kind, aren't you? Talking back to your supervisor, who the hell do you think you are?" He growled.

"I am a confused, lost human being who doesn't know what the hell is going on in her life, or even if she's in control of it!" I yell, heaving for air. "I don't know _anything. _Maybe it's better _not _to know anything. But I've seen what it's like to live in the darkness, totally ignorant of what's _really _going around you, and lemme tell you, the truth is a hell of a lot better than a web of lies."

It took a moment for it to hit me what I had just said. To my supervisor. Well, what the hell, it's not like I was gonna be working anyway. I don't want to be in their little _secret _club anyway. Bunch of lunatics.

"I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully and don't interrupt," The man spoke in a serious tone, but it wasn't one of anger or rage, but one that was solemn instead. "You aren't normal. You don't need me to tell you that. You have a past haunting you. Most of us do. But it's your choice entirely what you're going to do with it. And acting like you have the world on your shoulders won't make people admire you, it just makes them go away from you since you're clearly radiating some kind of poison that seems to drive them away. Get over it. You are probably the most stubborn, uptight, most unbelievable woman I've met in my entire life."

I was speechless. I can't even tell you what I felt because I felt nothing.

"And," He added. "You're exasperating and vexatious. But you are one of the few people I've met who're actually human. So, being the human that you are, I'll help you get through this. After all, I do need you to get back to work as soon as possible."

"What the hell?" I spoke my thoughts out loud, and then covered up my mouth, but it was too late.

Instead of the yelling that I was expecting from the man, I heard laughter. As in, chuckles, guffaws, etc. I felt like I was in an extremely bizarre version of Inception, if that makes any sense.

"Rukia, I know you're struggling financially. As long as you're still kicking and screaming, you'll still work at TR. After all, you _did _sign the contract, did you not?"

"What contract?"

"The one my associate brought over to you. What was his name, Jeff, Drew?"

"John," I said, recalling the time I spent the night at his house.

"Yes, that's the one. Judging by the tone of your voice, you sound unsure. Are you saying you didn't actually sign it?"

I didn't even know myself if I sign the stupid papers. But I didn't want to get John in any trouble because of something I don't remember. "Yes, I did. It was just so long ago, it didn't come to me straight away."

"So, according to that contract, you'll have to work here until I see that you're no longer fit to do so."

"I don't recall reading that part of the contract."

"Maybe you need glasses. Actually, contacts would suit you better. But it says there in the fine print."

"Fine," I gave up. "I'll go to work. But someone _will _be there to help me learn the ropes, right?"

"Of course. Either or will lend a hand. Not too complicated, serving drinks. Which is why you'll also be in charge of another _responsibility _when you come over there tomorrow night. You _do _remember your schedule, right?"

"Not a chance."

"You are a handful. I can't always watch over you and help you out every time you need it, you know? The others would see that I favor you, and that's just our little secret?"

"What?" I gawk, not believing the words I just heard.

"Your conditions of the contract are that: you work at least six months, devise a new bar menu, and of course, we need to meet in person at least _once. _To be honest, I feel a bit odd talking to an employee who hasn't the slightest idea what I look like."

"And what abou-"

"Your working hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 to 1, and Sunday from 7 'til midnight. And you will be in charge of cleaning the place too."

"Wait just a sec," I paused, trying to absorb all of this. "So, you expect me to work as soon as possible? As in, tonight?"

"Of course not. Next week, you'll begin. That should be enough time for you to readjust, right?"

"Yeah," I toy with the foam of the water and twirl it with my finger. "So, that's all you needed to talk to me about?"

"Pretty much. And don't forget about that dinner you stood me up on."

"Sorry," I mumbled, feeling embarrassment flood my cheeks.

"That was one day when I was actually free, you know. Being a boss isn't quite as glamorous as it's advertised to be."

"Just call me whenever you're free then."

"Now, that I can work with. I'll see you soon."

The line went dead and I set the phone down on the marble rim of the bath as I rolled my shoulders and sunk into the water once more. I heard a vibration go off, and I open the phone, seeing a new email.

* * *

From: Hausler Funeral Services

Subj: Confirmation Payment E-mail for the Funeral of Byakuya Kuchiki

Message:

This is the confirmation email Mr. Kuchiki's service about the payment. Thank you for paying in full on such short notice. The service and locale according to your request:

Place: New Montefiore Cementary

Time: Sunday, December 20th, 2009, at noon

We over at Hausler Funeral Services are deeply sorry to hear your loss and hope that you and your family will recover from such a tragedy.

_What in the world?_

I quickly pick up my phone and try to call Boss back, but when I did, I was greeted by, "_The number you have dialed is not in service at this time. Please hang up and dial again"._

"Just who are you, Boss?"

* * *

"In the afternoon of the eighteenth of December, we had suffered a tragic loss."

"_Tragic loss" is understating it._

"Departed through the hands of the devil, a friend very close to us was robbed of his life."

_Devil, huh?_

"Byakuya Kuchiki was a man that was as noble as he was kind. Loved by many, and mourned by many at this very moment. Will anyone care to say a few kind words about him?"

A couple of women with their makeup already ruined tried to act as if they were totally normal and talked about how great and noble and a bunch of bullshit they were obviously pulling from their fat asses.

One in particular _really _pissed me off. She wasn't like the others, but she was a hell of a lot more malicious. Skinny as a bone, high cheekbones, long legs, and thin blonde hair that was cut like the front lawn. I didn't know who she was, but there was a certain air about her that reeked of goldigger.

_"That dead fucker better have put me in his will," _She thought, and in .001 seconds, my scowl turned into a full-on death glare, demon eyes and all.

"Ease up," Renji whispered, squeezing my knee, and instantly making me lose my focus. "Giving a couple of people the death look won't make things any better."

I said nothing, but fidgeted with the jewel of my necklace and try to not throw my heel at that conniving bimbo standing across from me.

"Thank you, miss," The priest said as the woman stopped speaking and then looked to me. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you in the crowd of people. Your height hid your presence."

_Fuck you._

"So then, won't you say a few words about your brother, miss?"

People turned their heads in my direction, eagerly awaiting my answer.

"Of course," I smiled as I took the priest's hand up while getting up from my seat, trying to get past the swarm of legs that blockaded my path to the altar. Swallowing my anxiety, I stole glances from my left and right, seeing some of my friends and many of my brother's friends and acquaintances (all of them which I hadn't met). I could feel the fabric of the black dress drag behind me on the soggy surface of the carpet of the aisle. We were outside, under a tent, in the pouring rain. The funeral home called to see if I would cancel the service, but I said it had to be today. I couldn't bear to think that his corpse would be rotting another day in the morgue.

It was a small, quiet crowd sitting in grey, fold-up chairs set up in two seas, with the black carpet separating them. I recognized Nel, Grimmjow, Renji, in the crowd, but that was pretty much it. I took my time walking on the aisle, trying to conjure something, _anything_ to say about my brother, but there was interference from the selfish people surrounding me. Unfortunately, time ran out and I had no more carpet to walk on. Just an altar and the closed coffin of my dead brother.

I looked out to the crowd, but I felt awkward just staring at one fixed person. The horizon didn't help much either, since it seemed as if I really wasn't paying attention. I was standing in the rain. My hair, which Nel had to style since I didn't want to dress up for my brother's funeral, was starting to sag from the water pouring down. My makeup, which made me look elegant and poised, was now smearing as I let a tear roll down along with the raindrops. My dress, which Renji had to buy me, was now ruined because I didn't bother to pick it up as I walked down the aisle of Byakuya's funeral.

"Uhm," I began. "As you all know, Byakuya Kuchiki was my brother."

_He had a sister? I had no idea._

_ They don't even look alike._

_ Stop standing there like an idiot._

"And he was loved by many people," I started again, trying to find some thread I could talk about. "Especially by me. He had done so much for me, and for other people too, without even giving a thought of consideration for his own sake at times. I looked up to him-"

_I better be in his will. The guy was loaded._

_ I wonder who killed him._

_ God, get on with it._

Individual voices kept popping up in my head, all the more distracting from the words that I was about to say.

"And so did many others. He was-"

_A monster._

_ A cheat._

_ A murderer._

"Enough!" I barked, instantly curling my lip. "You all are _vultures! _The only reason why you're here is to get in the will, you selfish excuses for human beings! My brother was worth _more _than money, something that you all will never understand! Just shut the fuck up!" I heaved, feeling my heartbeat racing and my blood pump through my veins.

_ That girl is madder than the Hatter._

"Excuse me," Renji said as he hastily got up and walked over to me, grabbing my arms. "I need to have a little chat with her. Father Brian, go on with the service."

I couldn't even think, that was how much I was panicking. I could see, but couldn't see what was right in front of me. I could hear Renji trying to calm me down, but I could also hear the buzz of how people thought I had lost my mind. My hands were shaking, my breathing was erratic and my heart would soon pound out of my chest if I didn't settle.

We walked some distance away from the tent and into the pouring rain of the park that we were in. He took off his jacket and covered me with it, but I didn't feel a damn thing. He and I were near his car, and unlocking it, we got in and had some shelter from the rain.

Renji just sat there next to me as I wheezed for air, clutching my knees to my chest as I buried my head in the pit of shame.

"I'm not going to ask any questions, or even why you flipped out then. You have a good reason for it," Renji muttered, but it really didn't sound as if he was being all that attentive. "Just take your time. I'll head back to the funeral to let people know that you're alright and that you're just having an anxiety attack. That a good enough excuse?"

I waved my hand as I remained the same. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

"I'll be right back. Don't do anything stupid."

Shortly, Renji left the car and locked it as I sat there, in a curled up position, crying alone in a car. Ever since the hospital, I hadn't cried for Byakuya. I'd been bottling it up for almost a day. I didn't want to think the thoughts of being alone, having to try to live as if my brother's death was simply "a part of life", or even the thought of who killed him. That last one stuck with me for a while, since I really couldn't imagine _anyone _who'd want to kill him. But then again, he had a life too before he met me. He knew people that had never met me. Come to think of it, I think only a select few people had met the both of us. It made me wonder who Byakuya was when he wasn't around me.

_You can't think like that, _I thought. _You knew who Byakuya was. He wasn't a lie._

Interrupting my thoughts was a knock on my window, in which I irritatedly shooed away.

"Go away!" I groaned with my head still in my lap.

After a moment, I was sure they'd stop, but no, there was another one, a bit harder this time.

"I told you to go away!" I growled as I raised my head to look at the window, only to see a man's chest and legs—he was too tall for me to see his head. He then bent down, and I just stared back at the face in front of me, orange hair and all.

He smiled subtly before looking to me and then the lock, pointing for me to unlock it.

"You're not a mute, you dumbass," I muttered as I opened the door, quickly wiping off the smeared makeup and tears off the side of my face.

"Well, you seemed deaf when you wouldn't respond to my first attempt," He stuck his hands in his side pockets while leaning against the side of the car. It was then that I noticed he was dressed up for the funeral. And was soaking wet from the rain.

"What are you doing here?" I asked cautiously as I sat on the edge of the seat as I took off and threw my heels in the back seat.

"Paying my respects."

"Why?"

"Aren't you the one who invited me anyway?" John looked at me, and I stared at the ground, twisting my hair to get the rain out of it.

"That was my friend. He arranged the funeral, not me."

"Was the part about you telling everybody to shut the fuck up arranged too? Because I really got a kick outta that one."

As much as I didn't want to, I couldn't help but laugh. "You're going to catch a cold from standing in the rain, dumbass. Get in the car," I scooted over to the driver's seat.

"'Bout damn time you invited me in," He got in and closed the door behind him.

"Just what were you-"

Before I could finish my sentence, he shook his hair like a dog, getting tiny droplets of water all over the car.

"Stop that!" I squealed as I shielded my face.

"'Scuse me for drying my hair," He nagged, and I saw that his hair was entirely wet, and it looked like short-haired mop, more or less. There was a silence between us after that, and I was clueless as to what to say.

"You wanna talk about it?" The man offered.

"Hadn't you heard enough from earlier?"

"Not really. I want to hear it from the crazy lady herself."

"And if the crazy lady doesn't want to tell the story for the umpteenth time?"

"Then this crazy tramp can smoke his cigarettes until then."

"Be honest," I fidgeted with my necklace again. "You hate my guts, don't you?"

"For what?"

"For just up and leaving New York like that. Believe me, it wasn't planned-"

His shaking head cut me off, those eyes staring directly at me with a zen I could never achieve. "I am not mad at you for anything. While you were gone, I paid your brother a visit and asked him where you were, and he explained everything to me then. Told me not to tell anybody though, as he said it was strictly "family business". So, I didn't tell Nel and the others, like I promised him. Byakuya was a hell of a man, I'll give him that much."

"Yeah," I sighed through my nose. "He was."

"You got a place to stay at, right?"

"Technically, yeah."

"Whatcha mean by that?"

"That I'm living in Byakuya's house."

"_Why?_" He stared at me with a puzzled look. "Isn't that the _last _place you'd want to be?"

"Actually, _this _place is the one I despise the most. And some things popped up, so I thought moving to a new place would be better for me."

"Even if that new place is where your dead brother used to live?"

"What are you trying to say?" I narrowed my eyes at him slightly.

"I'm saying that there's got to be another reason other than that bullshit excuse as to why you're living there."

"John, don't be stubborn on today of all days," I looked out the window.

"I wouldn't be stubborn if you just told me what's going on in your life. Blocking me out isn't really giving me any access to how you are, you know. How am I supposed to talk, much less connect with you if you keep shutting people out?"

"Since _you _know everything, then tell me what to do then, because you have made it crystal clear that I am incapable of any human emotions whatsoever, and that I can't even-"

"Shut the hell up," The man firmly said as he climbed into the back seat, looking for something. "You need to stop talking. It makes you erratic."

"Just what are you doing?" I look back.

"See, there you go," He motioned his hand towards me. "That curiosity ain't gonna do you much justice."

"So, am I just supposed to shut up?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

And shut up I did. Well, at least he wasn't interrogating me and asking just exactly what I was doing on my time away. There's enough crazy people in my life.

"Dammit, where does he keep it?" John muttered as he searched under the seats and even the cushions of the car.

"What are you looking fo-"

"Ashhhh!"

"Hmph," I rolled my eyes and settled back into my seat.

"Found it. You can talk now."

I turned around and saw John laid out on the backseats, his legs having to be bent since he was too tall, and a blanket next to him. "Just what the hell are you doing?"

"Well, I figured you weren't in the mood for a date, and a funeral really drags shit down, so I improv'd. And yes, this was the best I could do on short notice. Unless you want to have kinky backseat car sex, but I don't think you'd be up to it."

I just stared at him. Blank=my face. Actually, it was more of a "unimpressed" look, but blank all the same.

Without saying a word, I climbed in the back, seeing him instantly sit up with a shocked look on his face. "What the hell are you doing? I didn't think you'd actually _agree!"_

"Scoot over," I mumbled emotionlessly as I sat next to him.

"You really aren't okay, are you?"

"Nope," I shook my head. "I'm a step away from being mentally insane."

"In that case, you get a free membership for the club."

"Ha-ha," I muttered. He then sprawled out on the cushions, making me get up. He went back to that original position I saw him in originally.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" John raised his eyebrows.

"How can I when your legs take up all the space?"

"If you _really _want to lie down," He sighed overdramatically. "Then you'll have to settle for me."

"I think we might be able to work something out," I giggled as I swung one leg over him and the other to the side. Giving him an interested look, I asked, "Just so you know, no kinky car sex."

"Ah, I figured as much," He shrugged. "But you considered it."

"I did not."

"You sure did. I saw that look in your eyes. You're a huge pervert, aren't you?"

"_You're _the pervert for even suggesting it!"

"Guilty as charged. Now, get your ass over here," The amber-haired man growled playfully as he quickly sat up and dragged me down with him so that I was lying beside his body. So, we were spooning in a car that didn't belong to us, but I didn't care. He had managed to, even if only for a while, make me forget about all the shitty stuff going on in my life. Corny as hell, but so true.

I felt his breath trickle against the back of my neck and a hand mess around with my long hair while the other held me by the waist so I wouldn't fall off the seat. This kinda closure was what I needed, like Renji said. But I wasn't sure if this guy was going to go all the way down to hell with me. Out of insecurity, I held onto the arm that was holding onto me while the other hand was still toying with the necklace. I felt two light squeezes on my hand.

I turned my head slightly to look back at him, who was giving me this "at peace" glance. "Thank you," I smiled, genuinely this time. "I kinda sorta missed you. Kinda."

Grinning, he lowered his head to kiss me. I turned around to wrap my arms around his neck while he held me by the waist, our lips only breaking apart for air. That moment was probably the one thing that made me forget everything. His touch, his smell, even the way he held me was enough for me to get a high off of him.

We broke, but his eyes were still on me. "Yeah, I kinda sorta missed you too."

* * *

A/N: D'awww, IchiRuki all the friggin' way:] More of them to come shortly. And yes, I am writing chapters rather quickly. Whassup wit dat? I dunno. I eagerly wanted to get this chapter over with. it's SO fucking depressing, like dayyyuuuuummmm. DERP.


	16. Day 87

"Please come in."

The door of Detective Kisuke Urahara's office opened slowly, revealing a rather tall, muscular man adorned with tattoos all over. His once long crimson locks had grown out even more since the last time Kisuke had saw him, but it didn't make that much of a difference of what was about to happen. If anything, the detective could say that the man in front of him had changed. There was something different in his eyes now. That naiveté he once had had vanished.

"Detective," The man nodded as he closed the door.

"Please, call me Kisuke. And take a seat," The blonde gent smiled grandly, lifting the glass bowl from the corner of his desk to the redhead. "Would you like some candy?"

"No..thank you."

"Suit yourself," He shrugged as he freely chomped on the licorice while spinning in his chair. "So, what's up?"

"You're awfully informal for a detective bringing me in for questioning. What are you suspecting me of?"

"Ho! Let's take it easy, buddy! I just started eating. But, you're a busy man, so if you want me to cut the chase, that's perfectly fine too."

"What is this about?"

"You were fairly close friends with both Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki, right? And if I recall, you were childhood friends with Kuchiki."

"That's correct."

"So, where's she now?"

"She's dead."

_Ah, so _you're _the one who's been spreading that rumor._

"How unfortunate," The blonde played along. "When did she die?"

"I just heard of it recently. Suicide, they say."

"They who?"

"The…newspaper."

"You have a copy of it?"

"Not with me."

"I see. So, if I go look this up, something'll come up?"

"I'm not sure. It was fairly recent."

"Newspaper people often post stuff up like that within a day or so. I'm sure by tomorrow it'll be there for sure, no?" Kisuke flashed a Cheshire-cat smile, wondering how far this spectacle would continue. It's not like he was complaining however. In the game of acting, the one who breaks his cover first loses. And Kisuke was sure to let the show go on.

"You seem rather curious of Rukia Kuchiki's death, Detective. Are you implying something by questioning me about it?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I was just curious, because I had a fairly close friend of both mine and hers tell me that she had just gone up and left New York. I haven't heard a tale about her being dead until I met you. Just when did you hear she was dead again?"

"You're persistent."

"It's my job to be persistent.

"You're a little _too _persistent," Renji muttered under his breath.

"Oh I'm sorry, is it making you uncomfortable? Poor thing, I didn't know you were so sensitive."

"The fuck is your problem?"

"Why don't you tell me what yours is and we can talk it out."

"Simple. It's you, poking your nose into my business."

"I don't know if you noticed but," Kisuke gestured to the solid plaque at the front of his desk, reading, _Kisuke Urahara, Detective. _"It's my job."

"You know what?"

_I win._

"I'm not going to tell you anything about Rukia. Or even if I heard from her or not."

"So you're denying the fact that she's dead?"

"It's your choice to make."

"And it's my choice to have you arrested as a suspect for her murder. Unless you want to spend time behind the bars and try to not drop the soap, how about you tell me what _really _happened that night that Ichigo Kurosaki got ambushed?"

"I wasn't there," The tattooed man muttered, looking at the ground. "I was somewhere else at the time. I was visiting a friend."

"Who is this friend?"

"He died."

"Saying that people are dead every time you refuse to tell me about them won't get you anywh-"

"Rangiku was really close with him."

"Rangiku…Mastumoto?"

"Is there any other?"

"I see. What was your friend's name?"

"She can tell you more about him than I can."

_Alright, so he refuses to talk. Fair enough. Doesn't mean I can't poke around._

"Were you close with him?"

"Eh, somewhat," Renji shrugged. "I mean, I knew the guy for a long time, but occasionally, we'd have a little feud. Some bottles breaking, a little bit of blood here and there…but he was a good man."

"Is this related to either Ichigo Kurosaki incident or the Rukia Kuchiki disappearance?"

"No," The man said, his voice unwavering.

"Alright then," Kisuke nodded as he quickly jotted down on his note pad. "To change the subject, do you have any idea on how could've possibly attacked Ichigo that night?"

"Who have you questioned so far?"

"_I'm _the detective, mind you. You don't get to ask the questions."

"I need to know what people have told you, because often, lies seem to mask that man for what he really is…er…_was._"

_You're cleverer than I thought, Renji. I suppose Ichigo taught you a thing or two, _The blonde smiled (in his head).

"No, it's is. He's alive. But to answer your question, I have yet to question anybody else. You're the first."

"No shit? I can't have you fuckin' with my head because I need to know who did this to Ichigo," The tanned male paused, swallowing his bit of tension and anger. "And what made Rukia disappear like air."

"My word is as solid as gold. I have yet to interview anyone other than you."

"In that case," Renji rested his arms on his knees, locking eyes with the blonde. "Tell me how much you know about a man named Kaien Shiba?"

* * *

**_Datalog: Day 87_**

Things were looking up. At least, that was what I thought first thing in the morning. Come midnight, I'm pissed. Hell, I'm pissed right now. Not so much of a pissed to actually kick someone's ass, but the kind of pissed to inflict pain on yourself.

This is the journal of a mad man. After 87 days, I think you'd get used to it.

But like I said, my day wasn't so horrible in the beginning. That woman was back, and for me, it's like things weren't as shitty as they were before, because more or less, she's going through the same thing. And we kinda have a thing going on, so I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

That day, I visited Byakuya Kuchiki's funeral. That's not the important part. The _important _part was that _she _was there. After two or three months, you get a sense of hesitation from just popping up out of the blue and act as if nothing was wrong. I surely couldn't do that at a funeral. I didn't want to be pummeled by fruit cakes and pecan pies by the Geezer Gang sobbing their wrinkly, sagging eyes out. And count on fate to make an entrance. If _I _wasn't going to piss off people, then somebody was. And that somebody was, yup, you guessed it.

Amusing, to say in the very least, her "speech", but she was probably one of the sane ones over there, yelling her lungs out and telling everybody to shut the fuck up. If it were me up there, I couldn't hold back. But that's whatever.

A mental and emotional breakdown later, she got escorted out of the frenzy by someone and was left to get a hold of herself inside a car, while it is pouring outside. There are always ups and downs to every situation, no?

So, when I made _my _entrance, it was bumpy as first, but things got rolling and things got better. And I cheered up the lass and got to spend some time alone with her. So, technically two ups?

"Hey," I yawned as I cracked open my eyes, but I heard nothing except rain. I look at my chest and see the girl snugged up all close and tight up against me, and I think I saw the tiniest hint of a smile on her face. I had a feeling she was a softie. But I didn't mind. We were so close I could smell the scent from her hair and even see the small, almost unnoticeable freckles on her porcelain skin.

"Oi, wake up," I muttered, but she only whined as she snuggled closer (if that was even possible). I then get this strange feeling in my body, like some kind of warmth that was numbing my legs, and I look down, seeing that the girl's knees were shuffling right at my crotch. And it wasn't arousing in the _slightest _bit, if that's what your sick mind is thinking.

"Someone's a little tense," I hear a soft voice tease. Looking down, I see Rukia still with her eyes closed, but with a mile-wide grin slapped on my face.

"You really _are _the pervert," I scoff.

"Oh, shut up. Curiosity got the best of me, and you had just brought up the topic of sex recently, so…"

"So…"

"I'm cloudy as to how you act in the bedroom," She looks up at me, with big bambi eyes, even though you _know _that there's a little bit of mischief in there.

"Well, now you know that I won't orgasm from just…_that._"

"I'd feel sorry for you if you did."

"But at least I'm not clinging all onto the guy like you."

"You won't find one girl that doesn't like to snuggle. And if you didn't like it, you could've pushed me away," She sparred, giving me that look she did every now and then. It suited her well.

"You're right. So, you know one sex fact about me. Your turn."

"This is not 20 questions. My sex life is for you to keep guessing, not for me to just flat-out tell you. That's so boring."

"So, you're telling me I have to figure out the puzzle piece-by-piece?"

"To be honest," She sat up, shaking her mane. "I feel weirded out talking about my sex life so casually with you. Nothing against you personally, I just don't know you that well."

"That's fine."

"I really don't mean to be a bummer or anything, that's just not me. I was just playing around earlier, you know that, right?"

"I guess," I yawned, cracking my neck.

"And now you're disappointed," She muttered coldly.

"You're doing it again," I nag.

"What?"

"Talking out loud. It's messin' up your judgment and you're going back-and-forth with your opinions."

"Well sue me for doing so because I'm casually talking about sex with a guy I don't know."

"Point taken. So, let me talk," I flash a grin, getting an unimpressed glance from the woman. "You and I clearly aren't a match made in heaven, right?"

"But we aren't casual acquaintances either."

"So, then…"

"What are we?" She finally asks.

I chew on my lip. "I don't know. But I _do _want to keep talking to you, but only if you're in the same boat."

"Then I'm a passenger on that boat."

"Okay, we're getting somewhere, good. However, you don't feel comfortable with sex?"

"Not a chance," She laughed, but her smile quickly faded away. "I have an idea."

"Judging by the look on your face, it doesn't look good."

"What if we start over?" She piqued innocently.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, think about it. Our meeting, _if _that was even was a meeting-"

Memories of our encounter played again in my mind, and I could not help but laugh at how _stupid _I had acted then. Or even the things I did that day.

"I was shit-faced," I shook my head, ashamed.

"You were _drunk?_"

"Yup."

"Why? And in the middle of the day?"

"That was…_quite _a day I had," I sighed, recalling the huge explosion with Orihime. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Fair enough, seeing as how you didn't pry into my business with Byakuya earlier. But it definitely seems that we're in need of a new "beginning"."

"That'd be nice," I chuckled, glad that the woman wasn't flipping out about that day.

"But if you screw this one up, I'm never seeing you again."

Or something along those lines.

"I promise I will be sober," I lifted up a hand.

"So, how are we gonna do this?" Rukia asked cluelessly.

"We could say that we met at the funeral."

"Such a pleasant beginning."

"It's better than you kissing a drunkard on the street."

"…_This,_" She gestured to the car we were in. "Didn't happen, okay?"

"Fine by me. So then, if we started over and hit it off at the funeral, then it's perfectly acceptable for us to see each other again?"

"I don't see why not."

"Then a coffee with yours truly is an invitation that can't be turned down?"

"Oh, it won't," She gleamed.

"Then I will see you tomorrow, say, around four-ish?"

"I think I have something planned then. Tell you what, just stop by and I'll just buy the coffee just in time so that you think I made it when in fact I just ran to the coffee shop around the corner," Rukia said as she got out of the car and into the pouring rain.

"Wait," I groaned as I stepped outside too, not understanding why she went out. "We really going through with this? This whole _starting over _deal?"

Whistling for a cab that quickly drove up to her feet, she turned back and said, "Are you not okay with it?"

"No," I muttered. "It's just kinda weird, that's all."

"It's also kinda weird for us to be moving at the pace we were. Think of this like the _right _way to start something, you know? I don't have a game plan or anything, so we'll just play it by ear from the coffee, okay?"

"I guess," I shrugged, then getting an exasperated glance from her. She quickly walked up and gave me a brusque peck on the cheek before leaving.

"Don't worry so much. It doesn't suit you," She smiled before leaving. "And stay sober!"

"Yeah," I wave as her cab drove off. "I'll try."

I wasn't thrilled with the idea of starting over, but in a way, Rukia was right. I didn't want to fuck up things like last time. _Just take it slow,_ I thought. _Things will get on a roll in soon time._ Or at least, that's what I had hoped for. It's bad enough being what I am; I don't need to add relationship problems to that mess.

My phone went off and I quickly pull it out to see tat it was a restricted number. TR, of course.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Yo," A gruff, serious tone greeted. "Everybody's down here, like you requested."

"And Yoruichi?"

"She's there too."

"Tell her to break up the group."

"Like how?"

"She'll know," I looked at my watch. "I'll be there shortly."

* * *

"He's here," I heard a female say, and was welcomed by the solemn looks of the crowd there. I opened the door and Yoruichi was the first to greet me with a short nod. "Let's get this over with, kid," She tied up her hair in a ponytail before sitting down in front of a bunch of papers and photos, with a greasy-haired brunette next to her of whom I was rather shady of.

"Ginjou," I glared slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"You were short one. After all, you do need at least _three _Magisters to conduct such a thing, with punishments and sentences and whatnot."

"I'm aware of what the rules are. I just didn't expect to see you here."

"Expect your worst, daemon. Now, let's get on with this," He yawned as he grabbed some papers and read them aloud. "The ruling party consists of, Judge Shihoin, Judge Kurosaki, and Magister Kuugo. Party on trial consists of, shifter Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez, were-panther, and seraph Nelliel Tu Oderschvank. Any objections? No? Then onto the next part," He said, pulling out some papers from a folder. "According to the report, Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez shifted in front of humans and attacked Renji Abarai," The brunette looked to Grimm before continuing. "Is that correct?"

"Before he threatened to hurt Nelliel," The azure-haired man stood his ground.

_Not taking any shit, as usual, _I noted. "But you knew she could've defended herself against a mere human. You had no reason to shift," I stated coldly.

"I had to shift, because you know very damn well that she couldn't defend herself in her human form."

"Nonetheless," Ginjou butted. "The consequence of your shifting won't go unpunished. Ya gotta pay the piper."

"The piper can kiss my ass," Grimm growled, only to get shushed at quietly by Nel.

"Ichigo," The bastard looked at me. "It's up to you, being as you're their Boss and all."

The second they all looked at me, my mind went _"Oh, fuck". _Being Boss wasn't in the least bit glamorous—especially when you have to decide the punishments for your friends. I didn't know what to say, since my head literally went blank. I knew that this was a serious offense, but I couldn't screw him over like that.

"However," Yoruichi spoke up, saving me. "I did manage to cover it up with some lies."

"Not every human is completely stupid," Ginjou added. "What about the ones that didn't buy it?"

"You'd be surprised at how Yoruichi has a way with her words. And besides, no one got hurt," Nel tried to add in, but was quickly snapped at by Ginjou.

"The party on trial can't speak," He sneered, getting a death glare from the woman.

"Why'd you do it?" I ask, my eyes on Grimmjow, but he just stared back with an unwavering look.

"Are you deaf? Answer me," I demanded.

"I don't know," He shrugged, his face emotionless. "My hell-hex took over my self-control. That's all there is to it."

"Grimmjow," Nel gaped, and there was just as much shock on Yoruichi's and Ginjou's faces. But I knew from the moment I saw him that he had given up this argument.

"In that case," I started, but then paused, hesitant to carry out the ruling I had in mind. But what could I do? Better one person suffers than risk _all _of us getting exposed. "Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez, you are sentenced to exile in the Soul Society, and to be de-clawed, from ever shifting back into your were-panther form."

"That's ridiculous!" Nel hissed. "He, _we _are your friends! How could you do this to us?"

"Would you rather we risk the danger of humans getting killed because someone couldn't restrain themselves?"

"You know better that he's in far better control of his powers than _you _are of yours!" The woman glared. "Some hypocrite you are."

"That is too harsh of a punishment," Yoruichi whispered to me. "He didn't kill anyone. He doesn't deserve a sentence like that. This is unfair to him. And you _are _a hypocrite, Ichigo. Don't act like you didn't shift in front of humans either."

"But at least I didn't shift on purpose and in plain sight," I muttered quietly.

"I'm with Yoruichi," Ginjou butted in as the three of us were talking amongst ourselves. "Lighten up, prick."

Ignoring him, I continued my conversation with the black woman. "First, he shifts and then there's a bomb threat? I can't trust either one of them when it comes to TR, despite them being my friends."

"It's not like you gave Nel such a light load to carry, Ichigo. She was under a lot of stress, especially with the Kuchiki disappearance. And you think the bomb threat didn't affect her either? She nearly died from blood loss that night."

"I heard," I shrug. "But that doesn't give her an excuse to just drop everything and go lie in a hospital bed."

"Who are you really mad at, Kurosaki?" The brunette stared at me. "Well? If anything, seems like you want to put that woman on trial rather than the shifter."

"You don't get to put your two cents in," I muttered agitatedly. "I'm just being careful. I can't screw up with a bomb threat at our necks. That's all there is to it."

"Ginjou," Yoruichi looked to him. "You mind if me and Ichigo talk in private?"

"Whatever," He shrugged as he got up and walked off.

"Ichigo," She said, locking eyes with me. "Don't you dare act like you have the world on your shoulders, because if you do, I won't hesitate to put you in your place. You have power, don't abuse it. Especially against the same people who stand by you. That's fucked up."

"I can't just drop this, you know that."

"I never said you had to drop it."

"Tell you what, I'll make you an offer: since Grimmjow probably won't be talking for the next couple of months, I'll need your help in tracking down the person who made that threat. In exchange, I'll do what you want about the current situation," I raised my eyebrows, placing the offer on the table.

"Lessen the sentence and we have a deal, kid."

My eyes stared at the heart of the fire from the burning candle in the middle of table we were at, debating with myself if this really was the right choice.

"Grimm, Nel," I called as I stared at the fire, waiting for them to come over. "I and the other Magisters have talked it over, and we will reduce Grimmjow's sentence."

"To what?" Nel asked coldly.

"It'll be reduced to having a hex on him so that he can't shift for three months."

"Hell of a reduction," He stated.

"What about the humans in the other room?" Ginjou piped. "It's not like you can do the ruling for that too."

I look to Yoruichi, who shrugs her shoulders. "I'll take care of it as soon as I put the hex on Grimmjow. Ginjou, kitty cat," She motioned for them to follow her. "Let's get this over with."

I groaned as I put my feet up on the table and rubbed my temples in an attempt to get rid some of my stress, but no matter how hard I tried, there was still something bugging me. Someone was still in the room. Cracking open an eye, I saw the teal-haired woman who eyed me with disappointment in those hazel eyes of her, which only meant that she had a bone to pick with me.

"You done playing Godnow?" She asked with her hips cocked to the side.

"It's not like I enjoy this," I muttered as I closed my eyes again, trying to ignore the negative aura that she was radiating.

"You are unbelievable, Ichigo. I thought you could at least cut us some slack, but you went and treated us as if we were your enemies! What's your deal?"

"My "deal" is that you couldn't handle TR that night and that Grimmjow didn't have enough control to hold back."

"Don't act like you're superior to us. If anything, _we're _superior."

"Oh really?" I laugh. "In what way?"

"Take this, for example," She smiled as she snapped her fingers, and I was pulled to the ground by some force, down on my knees as the side of my face slammed against the cold floor.

"What the hell did you do?" I hiss, having to turn my head sideways to look at her.

"You think you have control over yourself? That's real funny, considering you were begging me to restrain your _other self_. You're on your own now. Have fun bonding with your daemon," She said before leaving me on my knees.

_"Merry Christmas to me," _That voice sang the tune. It was the same one who had managed to stay quiet for a week now spoke up, sending a tremor of hate down my spine, and I knew that my life of hell had begun once again.

* * *

Before I knew it, I was possessed yet again by the pain, anguish, and torture that had come back to haunt me. With the occasional demon cackling in the back of my head. Once my spree of chaos was over (I lose my consciousness during this time, since the pain is too much for me to handle), there's broken glass everywhere, occasional splat of blood, and claw marks all over me. Courtesy of yours truly.

After managing to finally have the strength again, my demon comes back and eats it up as if it were a bite-size meal. 7 days, one full week it took me to recover without the help of my supernatural powers, and he just fucks it up in less than two minutes and takes over my corpse to wreak havoc. Losing my dignity and control like that to a monster, it made me feel like I didn't stand a chance.

_"Ya haven't had a bite to eat in 6 months. You can't keep this up for long," _That voice chimed in the midst of my destruction. He was right, but I didn't want to admit it.

I barely managed to speak because of the pain that was hurting everywhere. From my palms, to my abs, to the meat on my legs. It was as if claws were digging in there and throwing salt on the wounds. "I can stop feeding whenever I want to. And have control over myself when needed."

_"Say whatever makes you happy. But the only reason why yer body is acting up like that is 'cause it's low on blood. You keep bleeding, yer gonna die, and you sure as hell ain't gonna drag me with you. It's so pathetically easy how I could possess you now, but then, _I _would feel the pain too. And well, I prefer to be the one on top."_

"Shut the fuck up," I groaned.

_"You had a fucking opportunity to get some. In the car? That piece of meat smelled fucking delicious. If that spell wasn't on you, I'd have-"_

"I know what you're gonna say and I don't want to hear it."

_"All I'm saying is, you avoid a chance like that again, I'm jumping ship and there ain't shit you can do about it."_

"Not happening."

_"Hah, how do you even have the balls to say that like that? You know and I know that you barely managed to stop yourself from eating that piece of meat alive. And she was literally RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. If _I _can't resist Rukia's scent, then you sure as hell can't."_

"…You just called her by her first name," I said blankly. "Are you growing attached to her? Come to think of it, you've downgraded from calling her a "bitch" to a "piece of meat"."

_"Shut the hell up," _He hissed. _"Like I said, you skip out from another meal, and I'll take care of things personally."_

I felt my back pocket tingle and was relieved to hear my phone's ringtone save me from having to talk with that demon.

I cleared my throat as I tried to swallow my pain and answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello? Hello? That's how you answer your little sister after two years of constant worry? I should knock you into a coma right about now!"

_Believe me, you'd be doing more good than you'd think._

"I know, Karin, I haven't called you in a long time," I mumbled as I turned on the fireplace. "Things have been popping up, and I've been ridiculously stacked with work."

"You'll need a better excuse this time, Ichigo Kurosaki!" I could hear her growl in a hushed tone. "I'm already worried sick about Yuzu and her condition. I don't need you disappearing outta the blue again."

"How is she?" I ask as I threw my bloody shirt into the fireplace, along with anything else that was stained with my blood. "Have there been any "incidents"?"

"There was one time, on your birthday this year."

I could tell by how quiet she'd gotten that either Yuzu was in the same room or it was really disastrous. Or both. "What happened?"

"She had a nightmare. The things she said that night…for the first time in my life, I was actually scared of our sister, Ichigo. It's like she was _possessed."_

"What kind of things did she say?"

"Well-oh, hold on just a sec," She set the phone down, and I relaxed on the couch, seeing the crusty, inky flakes cracking apart on the palms of my hands. The once half-inch gashes that were in there were almost completely healed. Gotta love regeneration.

I looked at how the rest of my wounds were doing, and most of them were gone, with the exception of the one on my chest. For some reason, that place always healed slower than the others, and I didn't know why.

'Tis then that I realized the once antagonizing pain I was suffering minutes ago had vanished. Come to think of it, right when Karin called. Weird.

"You there, Ichi-nii?"

"You haven't called me that in forever," I shook off the crust of blood on my legs.

"And I haven't seen you even longer than that."

"Tell you what, the next time I get some time off, I'll visit you and Yuzu and I can see for myself how she's doing."

"Then I guess you'll be staying for New Year's too?"

"Huh?" I blinked.

"You _are _aware that Christmas is in five days, right? How could've you forgotten? You live under a rock?"

_Something like that._

"N-No, I've just been so busy with work, I completely forgot about Christmas."

"But you're still coming to visit, right?"

"Karin, I didn't know it'd be-"

"You owe us. You haven't visited us in five years. You haven't called us in two," She paused. "What the hell is going on with you, Ichigo? Why are you avoiding contact with your own sisters?"

"I'm not avoiding you and Yuzu. I've just been traveling on business trips a lot and-"

"It's not Orihime, is it?"

"What? No, we broke it off forever ago. She isn't a part of my life anymore."

"Ah-ha," Karin said, sounding as if she were Holmes.

"There's no _ah-ha, _that's it. Me and her were done a long time ago. I've moved on, and it's for the bet-"

"Ah, so there's _another _girl. Well damn, you sure don't waste time getting someone."

"That's not the point," I stated with a nerve twitching near my eye. "Me and Orihime haven't kept contact, so whatever perverted things you're thinking, give up, because I'm not going to get with her."

"She was such a nice girl though. Your dumbass should've married her. Hell, you should've had a _family _by now! You are 25 years old. Five more years and your time is up, bud."

"Who the hell do you think you are? _You're _21! You can't talk to me like that!"

"I sure as hell can when my older brother is being a dick!"

"Don't you go there."

"Too late, you've upset me and now you will suffer. Aside from _purposely _shunning your family, you managed to throw away the _one, THE ONE _woman who could actually tolerate your shit. And God help me, if you're 30 and creeping on in the clubs and hitting on 20-year-olds, I'm going to kill you in your sleep."

"She wasn't _the _one," I muttered. "And I sure as hell wasn't _her _one."

"Well, it's too late now to do anything. Unless…I dunno…you call her-"

"_NOT _happening, Karin!"

"Okay, okay! It just seems like from the sounds of it, you're 100% sure-"

"More like 1000."

"1000% sure that you're over her. Good for you. You never were the type to cry over something like that. So, you're coming over single. Ha. It's kinda funny because when we grew up, those sluts would cling on you, and I hit every one of them with a potato gun until they'd they our house was "haunted". You remember that?"

"When was that?" I ask, trying to scrape for the memory in my head.

"Before you left, sometime that year," She laughed. "I feel like these past six years I've accomplished nothing. So many things to get done with, but I barely have the time for it, with looking after Yuzu and all. But I'm not complaining. Family first."

"You haven't changed a bit, Karin," I sigh, part of it in relief. "Thank God."

"So, it'll just be us three then? You _will _come, right?"

"Actually," I start, but hear a groan cut me off.

"Ichigo, don't you dare bail! I can't see Yuzu go through another Christmas hoping that her brother will come home with Santa and then I'd have to lie about how we missed you five minutes ago. That is _torture."_

"…Fine," I caved, damning the damned anecdote she'd said. "But I'll have to rearrange my plans, so I might be late."

"Plans? What plans? Oh my God, you were going to spend Christmas with someone, weren't you?"

"I just remembered Christmas was in five days. How does that make sense?"

"It doesn't have to! You were gonna choose some hook-up hoe over us?"

"She's not a hook-up hoe."

"_Ah-ha! _I knew there was a girl!"

_"You fell right into her trap. Even _I _saw it coming."_

_ Shut the hell up, _I thought. "Karin, she isn't like that."

"If she isn't, then bring her over."

"..What?"

"If she's not a whore, hoe, slut or a synonym of those three, then I'd like to meet her. Just for your sake, of course."

"Karin, she's a good girl, you don't have to worry."

"Uh-huh, that's what you said about the last one. Look at you two now."

"That was low."

"I learned from the best." I could sense her smiling with glee right at that moment. "So, it's settled? You two are staying the 24th & 25th?"

"We have no choice in the matter, do we?"

"Nope. See you then!"

_"Looks like that "opportunity's" coming _real _soon," _The demon grinned with glee._  
_

"Shut the hell up."

* * *

"So, this "Kaien Shiba" is bad news, eh?"

"Damn straight."

"Jesus," The detective shook his head as he unlocked the drawer that the journal was in. He then recalled reading about a man named Kaien earlier on in the pages, but he hadn't thought of the name as a possible suspect.

"What's that?" Renji asked suspiciously, eyeing the book.

"There was a lot you didn't know about Ichigo, was there?"

"What are you getting at?"

Kisuke threw the book on the desk. "It explains it all. Why he was hiding, and what _exactly _he was hiding. And from what you've told me, Kaien wasn't exactly his best bud."

"So, that journal was his?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"Does it mention anything about Rukia? Or where she disappeared to?"

"I haven't got to that part yet. 'Tis a pretty lengthy journal and he writes tiny."

"Dammit, aren't you supposed to be a detective? You're supposed to get to this shit done as soon as fucking possible! What's the hold up?" Renji raised his voice, as well as his temper.

"I can only take this supernatural romantic comedy day by day. That, plus I need to confirm if what he wrote is true and notify the others that are on this case."

"And by others, you mean..?"

"My detectives. After all, they deserve to know the truth too, don't they?"

"Who are they?" The redhead gritted his teeth, but it didn't phase the blonde man.

"Rangiku and Shinji. Yoruichi is also a detective that was looking into this case, like myself, but unlike me, she was more involved and actually there at the time this was happening."

"So, nobody that wasn't already in the situation.."

"Knows about it," Kisuke finished the sentence with a nod. "So your pineapple head has nothing to worry about. Except for where your friend went, however."

"Meaning that you'll arrest Kaien?"

Chuckling, the detective opened the little blue book and spread it across his face, already engrossed in the writings. "You're cleared of being a suspect. You may leave. Shut the door on your way out."

Not understanding what the hell had just happened, Renji decided for once to just shut up and do as he was told.

"Oh, and Mr. Abarai?"

"Hm?" The tattooed man asked right as he was about to close the door.

"Send my regards to the troop. It's hard to believe a rookie like you became an alpha within a year."

"The leader…"Renji paused, choosing his words carefully. "_Retired, _and asked me to fill in for him. It isn't that big of a deal."

"It is in _your _situation. Zero to hero, eh? Not to mention all of the events that occurred these past couple of years..it's enough to make any man crazy."

"Those events changed me for the better, detective," The man gave a nod goodbye before closing the door.

"Oh, how they changed you indeed. Along with many others, my boy," Kisuke talked aloud as he picked up where he last was in the blue book. However, he couldn't really get into the text because of something that was biting at him.

_"…you'll arrest Kaien?" _The voice echoed in his head, and for the first time in a long time, he actually had no idea how to go about this; but one thing was for certain:

"He'll need a hell of a lot more than iron bars to hold him back," The man put the book down momentarily to reach his phone machine and call his secretary. "Ururu?"

"Yes, ?"

"Would you be a doll and tell Rangiku to come visit me?"

* * *

A/N: Quick update. Anyway, I have some bad news:/ At ch. 20, I will be taking a long break from SP and I don't know when it'll end. During that time, I'll edit and most likely rearrange a couple of chapters (since ch.1 was MASSIVE, I applaud y'all for managing to get through with it), and I'm thinking of breaking that into two chapters, and then just moving everything after it a chapter ahead? I dunno. If anybody can help me edit (I am too embarrassed to read chapter 1. Honestly, I can't read more than a minute of it) it, I'd be so fucking grateful for it, but only if you know what you're doing. And also, another condition: I won't continue from ch.20 until SP has over 50 reviews, 50 watchers, 50 alerts, 50 faves, and at least 5,000 hits (well, we got that last part done:] ) I know it seems ridiculous, but I don't want to write if there's no audience, ya know? And (don't laugh at this next part -_-) I am very insecure with my writing, and I want it to get attention so I know "okay, this isn't working, let me try something else", because like it or not, I care what my readers think. so, please spread the word to your bleach friends about this story and help SP's notoriety? 3 Reviews are always loved, y'all. So, yeah, that's about it. I know I sound needy, but I'm trying not to overdoing, but I think I failed majorly. ENDOFRANTNOW.


	17. Demonios y Ángeles

warning: ichiruki fluff (?) ahead:3

* * *

It's hard to believe some things are living right under your nose sometimes. Before, you just went through life and didn't even acknowledge it. But when you find out that someone did a certain something, or you heard of an event that was shocking, you kinda can't look at it the same way again. You can try, but I haven't found anyone who can switch back just like that.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, as humans, we are prone to change. You can't deny that. But when there is so much of a single change, a "disturbance", if you will, in our lives, we too are affected. Sometimes, we aren't even aware of it until someone points it out.

Like I had said before, I didn't know a lot of things. But that day, a lot of things that were once blurry from confusion were now clear to me.

December 21st, 2009, 11:49 AM

"Dammit," I hissed as I ran from the bathroom to the stove, sniffing the burnt pancakes all the way from over there. I cursed over and over again for not using cooking spray on the stupid cooking pan. Scraping the burnt bits off with a fork, and then a spoon, knife and spatula, I sighed with disappointment. For once, I had _attempted _to cook, but you see, it's not as easy as ordering at a restaurant. And this was my third try at making pancakes. I nearly burnt the house down with the first batch.

Distracting me from attempting to drown in my self-pity, the doorbell called and I hastily walked over to the door, trying to do a makeover within 30 seconds for whoever was there, even if only the mailman.

I opened the door and saw John waiting lazily against the side of the door for me to answer.

"Hello there," He nodded.

I sure wouldn't mind _him _delivering my mail.

"Good morning," I muttered, slightly lost. "Not to sound rude, but, why are you here?"

"Didn't you tell me to come for coffee yesterday?"

"Yes, but at noon."

Looking at his watch, he read, "It's 11:45-ish. My day's clear, so I figured might as well be early for once."

"Oh, then come in," I move to the side to let him in and then headed to the bedroom. "Don't mind the smell, it was just an…_experiment. _There should be some Febreeze near the counter. Just gimme a couple of minutes to change."

"You don't need to get dolled up for me."

"I'm not," I hollered as I opened the closet with both arms and get a hoodie and some leggings to throw on. "Besides, I'm kinda getting used to you now."

"Oh, are you? Does that mean you're not going to get dressed up anytime soon?"

"Never said that," I put my other leg through the legging and adjusted it while heading to the living room. "I just save those for special occaisions."

"Well, that's better," John studied me for a sec. "Cute."

"Gracias," I nodded. "Coffee?"

"Well, aren't you proper."

"It's a yes or no question."

"Yes please," He flashed that usual grin of his that convinced me he was not of this world. "And just a teeny bit of coffee and milk."

"So, remind me again, where did we last leave off?" I began prepping the coffee.

"Uh, we left off at "starting over", even though it seems kinda odd to me, honestly," John shrugged. "I mean, it's not like there's a restart button for our kinda deal. No matter how hard you try to forget it, we met the way we did. And covering that up just seems kinda fake."

"You have a point," I agreed as I pushed the button and sat down next to him. "So where are we? What do we do now?"

"Just let things go the way they are. If things are too fast, we can slow down. That's all I got."

"Why didn't you say something yesterday? This sounds so much better. My plan looks retarded now," I whined as I pounded his chest.

"Didn't want to squash your ego."

"Better than going with my stupid plan. Next time, speak up, kay?"

"Speak up when you have a stupid idea or does that apply in general?"

"Don't get cocky."

"Just admit you're glad we don't have to start _all _over," He chuckled as he pulled me on top of him and held me by my waist, looking me in the eye. "Or were you trying to see if I'd play the same tricks over again?"

"Hmmm, hadn't even thought of that," I rested my arms around his shoulders. "But you're definitely right about the first part. Beginnings are always so tedious and lengthy, and it makes me wonder," I whispered in his ear as I twirled strands of his hair around my finger. "Why can we just skip to the part we all know and love?"

"You implying something?" I felt him smile as he planted little pecks down my necks, each growing a bit more passionate and longer than before.

"Mm, maybe."

"In that case," The man said in between kisses. "We'll just have to-"

"Omigod!" I sat straight up, and hopped out of his lap and towards the kitchen, hearing the steam and hisses coming from the stove. "My coffee! It's pouring over!"

"I'm sure it would've been fine," John muttered irritatedly.

"No," I whined, seeing that the batch was ruined since nearly half of the liquid poured over the cup. "Now I have to make it again."

The door rang, and I glanced at it for a moment's notice. "You mind getting that?"

While I was rinsing out the flooded coffee mug, I heard immediate silence after the door was opened, and it made me slightly suspicious.

"John? Who's that?"

"Just me," A voice piped, and I looked to see Nelliel with a smile that was as bright as neon. "You mind if I join y'all for coffee?"

"Actually-"

"Sure!" I grinned, prepping the machine ready for the second time before going to join the two. "To be honest, I kinda forgot you were coming over."

"Well, as long as I'm not intruding on something."

John sent a scowl her way. "You kinda are."

I then shot _him _a look, one to let him know to get that prick out of his ass.

"What he means is," I said. "We were having coffee earlier. I kind of forgot about today's events, sorry. I hadn't had breakfast or my coffee."

"'Tis okay. Grimm was the same when people interrupted us during sex."

"Have some decency," The man muttered.

"You're the one to talk. Your fly is all the way down."

"Anyone care for coffee?" I offered as I heard the beeping go off while hastily pouring the cups and putting them down on the table.

During that short time, I noticed Nel and John were glaring daggers at each other, and something was _clearly _up. But I figured that with each dagger thrown, there'd be more hints to the real issue going on here.

"So, Rukia," Nel sipped her coffee while crossing her legs. "You mind me asking you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"If your supervisor was to give you an unfair punishment for something you did on accident, how'd you react?"

"I'd flip a shit. That is, if it's unfair."

John cleared his throat. "So surely, the supervisor has a legitimate reason for giving such a punishment. And if he were to even reduce it, that'd be awful grateful of him. Wouldn't it, Rukia?"

"I'd be _really _grateful if he reduced the punishment. Hell, anyone would."

"You'd think so," He nodded. "But you'd be surprised."

"Let's just say the boss isn't the only one who's surprised," The woman said nonchalantly, and right after, the doorbell rang. _Again._

"Well, why not plan a friggin' fiesta over here," I muttered as I got up from the couch to answer it, surprised to see Renji at the door. "Renji? What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I got some-"

_"If the supervisor was gracious enough to reduce it by that much, then the dumbass who got in trouble should be on his knees _thanking_ him!"_

"What's that all about?" Renji asked as he looked over my shoulder.

_"Well maybe he hadn't friggin' emasculate the poor guy, he'd be able to say thanks!"_

"Come with me," I grabbed Renji's wrist and led him to the kitchen.

"Yo," Renji waved to them and then looked to me. "Whatchu need me for?"

"I need someone sane to stay with me so I don't become like _them. _And," I grabbed a plate and gave it to him. "I burnt my pancakes. Help me?"

"I'll only stick around for 10 minutes and then I've gotta go. I've got to go down to TR. So, update me," He grabbed a couple of stuff from the fridge and began mixing eggs, flour, and other stuff. "What the situation with those two?"

"I dunno man," I shrugged without a clue. "They didn't seem like best buds when John saw Nel at the door, and they're having this "debate". Something about if a punishment is fair or not and they've been asking me my opinion on it."

"Oi, Rukia!" John called. "Just what exactly you doing for Christmas?"

"You're more than welcome to celebrate over at my house!" Nel turned her head around with a perfect 1960's housewife smile that screamed chicken pot pie.

"Sorry, but I'm spending it with Renji," I announced. "It's kinda _our _thing, you know."

"Actually," He spoke softly. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I can't make it."

"_What?" _I gawked.

"Well?" The fiery-maned man asked impatiently.

"Are you really gonna make choose between these two?" I whispered with a pout.

"Sorry. I'm on punishment. But New Year's we're getting drunk for sure."

Something went off in my head, and I remembered my conversation with Boss, and how I had to work this Saturday, which was Christmas. Not the best call, but it saved me from having to pick.

"Oh, shoot, that's right!" I groaned. "I have to work down at TR this Saturday! Gosh, I'm awful sorry, you guys. Looks like I can't spend Christmas with either of you two."

"Boss can't make you work on Christmas!" Nel exclaimed, with John nodding. If anything, that's the one thing they agreed on.

"And me?" Renji asked.

"You're a _whole _different story," John sneered.

"Now, wait," I cut in. "Why does _he _have to work? Is this _his _punishment?"

There was a momentary drift of silence, but Renji acted as if everything was normal, bringing my pancakes to me. He was to break the silence. "No? No one will say it? Fine. I was drunk and got into a fight with Grimmjow."

"_Whaaat?" _I stood up in my seat, almost eye-to-eye with the tattooed man. "How? Why? Wait," I then look to the two on the couch, who were awfully quiet then. "Is this what this is all about?"

"It's Renji's fault this whole thing started!" Nel boasted.

"I was _drunk_," The redhead pointed out again.

"And whose fault was that?" John snapped.

"Nobody can manage TR by themselves, John!" The woman hissed.

"I do!"

Cue awkward silence. I didn't even know what he meant, or even if he meant it, but it was clearly something…weird.

"I...do see Boss running it everyday, so why couldn't you?" He drank the last of his coffee.

"Let's see, from the stress I have of being engaged, a bomb threat, and nearly dying."

"Engaged? A bomb threat?" I ask, feeling _incredibly _left outta the loop.

"I'm going to go now before things get anymore awkward," Renji muttered before he slyly escaped.

As soon as the door closed, John yelled, "Now you're chasing people off!"

"I did nothing! If anything, I just told Rukia what happened!"

"So glad I could be updated," I sipped my coffee.

"Would you like to say something yourself then, Nelliel?"

"Don't you tempt me," She grinned with a hint of plastic.

"Anywho, Rukia," John left the couch and walked over to me. "Have you given any thought about Christmas?"

"I told you, I'm working," I mumbled as I feel my pocket vibrate and pulled out my phone, quickly reading the text.

"_Missy. Forgot it was Christmas this Saturday. Silly me. I told you being a Boss isn't the least bit luxurious. Point is, go out and celebrate. We'll discuss (in person) when you work. Happy Holidays."_

"No friggin' way," I gaped at the screen.

"What?" John asked.

"Boss just sent me a text.." I scrunched up my eyebrows. "And I'm off of work?"

"So then, will you spend it with me?" He grinned like a child asking for candy.

I then look to Nel pitifully and said, "I'm sorry, I can't chose between you and-"

"A man you barely know?" Her words were like ice.

"Nel.." I stare at her.

"I'm sorry," She nodded. "Your boyfriend got me worked up. Didn't mean to take it out on you. I'll see you later then."

As she exited, I caught John making a face.

"Someone pissed in your corn flakes today," I teased.

"I swear, she can be so stubborn sometimes," John shook his head, but then went over to the door and locked it, giving me a rather seductive look. "But screw her. Let's pick up where we last left off."

Within seconds, he had lifted me over his back and threw me on my bed, instantly pouncing on me. Or I pounced on him. Either way, we were glad we were alone again. His hands snaked their way down to my hips and held steady to them. My hands, however, were wrapped around his shoulder and scratched the toned, built muscles of his back. Not too rough, but not too soft either. Like a cat. Just enough to make the hairs on your skin prick up. Occasionally, one of my hands would hide in that mass of ember and rummage through the fluffs of ember. Its texture was so soft and so smooth, it could easily slip through my fingertips. I turned my head to the side so that he'd have more than enough space on my neck. The muscles on my calves tightened when he kissed my neck, because when he did, he kinda sucked on it and it always tickled a little bit. I felt a hand crawl its way from the side of my ass to just underneath my back to cradling the back of my head.

Turning my head the other way, I looked straight at him for a sec, glued to just how brown his eyes were and then closed the gaps between our lips as I wrapped my legs around me. I was a bit surprised he didn't do tongue at a time like this, but to each his own, I thought. We only broke contact for air, and I hated whenever we had to. So, I stayed on a bit longer than usual, wanting more than I normally got within those short seconds. Although strange to talk about it, his way of kissing was tender, but not in the least bit lacking and plenty passionate.

We broke and heavy breathing filled the room as he still remained on top of me. He stared at me for a moment before the corners of his mouth slowly curled up into a smile, and in turn, made me smile and giggle too. I kinda wanted to say, _The hell? You ain't going all the way?, _but I decided that was better to keep in my head.

"I didn't know you were ticklish on your neck," He chuckled as he laid down next to me.

"And I didn't know you didn't use tongue."

"Just ain't my fetish. Why are you so far away? Get over here," The orange-haired male groaned as he tugged me over to his chest, with my head resting on his bicep with the arm wrapped around my back. "We'll make this work."

"Make what work?" I twirled my finger across his chest in swirls and loops.

"Us."

My hand went limp.

I had to look at him to see if he was really serious, and he was. I was too happy. And I didn't want to say something that'd ruin the moment.

"Thank you," I muttered softly, already feeling a bit drowsy from being so comfortable.

"Hey, about the Christmas thing," He started. "I know it's sudden, but it's just gonna be you and me, and my family."

_Hold up, buddy._

I lifted my head from his arm and stared at him blankly. "..You didn't mention anything about a family earlier."

"I would've said something, but I didn't get a chance. And it's not a family reunion. It's just my two sisters. And they want to meet you."

"Have you even considered if _I _want to meet them?"

"Rukia," He sighed. "If you do this, I'll do whatever you want. I'm not really all that pumped about this either. It's going to be awkward seeing my sisters after five years."

"Can you visit them in your spare time? And you know, not with me? I'm not that fond of people," I sat up on the side of the bed.

"But it's Christmas. You're going to be with people, regardless."

"Yeah, but I wasn't planning on making a big hoopla outta it. Besides, I always went to Renji's for Christmas. It was our _thing_."

"New Year's is literally _days _apart from Christmas, and you're gonna spend that with him."

"True. But even if I do go, how the hell am I supposed to act in front of them, huh? It's not like we can just act like Rachel and Ross from _FRIENDS _in a heartbeat," I scoffed.

"We'll play it by ear. And if anything, I thought we'd be something along the lines of Derek and Meredith. After all, I do have good hair."

"I don't know what show that's from, but anyways," I shook my head. "Say we pull this off. Will your sisters really buy it?"

"Rukia, do you remember me telling you about my sisters?"

"Refresh my memory?"

I heard the pace of his slow, steady breathing. His body remained motionless, with the exception of his fingers, which were toying with the ends of my hair, making the hairs prick up on my skin.

"We had just met the day before. It was raining, and I absolutely despise the rain, in case you didn't already figure it out. We were in the park, and unlike with anybody else, I was opening up to you, and I didn't feel the least bit awkward. It was an impulse move, to talk about my past, but it felt so natural. And then my wound opened up, and without hesitating, you took off your scarf and tried to ease the pain and stop the bleeding. There are so many things I want to thank you for, but even now, I don't know how to repay you."

Hearing him say that aloud, it made me think—if he remembered such an event like that from nearly _forever _ago, then was he like that with everything else? ...Nah.

"Yuzu had a little doll, didn't she?" I broke the silence. "She's the blonde one who you fought for. And Karin was the one with black hair, right?"

"Yes," He nodded. "That's right."

"In that case, I want to meet them."

"Really? Thank you so much, Rukia! I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"Oh, all in good time. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow night."

"So soon?" I gape.

"It's about a 12-hour drive from here. You can sleep in the car and we'll have arrived by Wednesday morning. They live in a kinda rural area. You know where the Aidirondacks are?"

"Yeah."

"They live in a small community near there."

"So, what am I supposed to get them?"

"Lemme worry about that. I know what they want."

"If we're going tomorrow, I might as well start packing," I shrugged and walked over to my closet, flinging some clothes on the bed. "And you?"

"I'll do that tomorrow. Can I crash here tonight?"

I turned around and gave him a look, and he gave me one right back.

"You spent the night at my house. You aren't _uncomfortable _with it, are you?" He jested, flashing his canines almost as if to tease me.

"No sex," I muttered while looking back to the closet and picking out a deep azure blouse before throwing it too on the bed.

"Have I ever asked for it?"

"Just lettin' ya know."

"If I were some other guy, I'd probably give up and call you a bitch on the way out."

"Your point being?"

"I'm not like other men. So get that mindset of all men being sex addicts outta your head."

"Sex addict or not, there is a desire for it in everybody, not just men. Our thing earlier," I closed the closet doors, looking at the tanned male for a second and then to the clothes I picked out. "Was just a bite-size sample of it. And it was evident as hell that you had desire. Same with me. But just because I like you doesn't mean I'll spread open my legs for you."

"Knew that from the start."

"Good," I grinned. "So glad we're on the same page."

"Just wish you were on mine."

"_What?"_

"On my page. I may be on your page, but you're not on mine."

"What are you talking about?" I started sorting the shirts and pants and folding them.

"You're obviously a woman with very strong opinions. A bit obstinate, even. Which basically means it isn't gonna be as easy as knocking over dominoes to influence you."

Raising my eyebrows, I looked at him with pique, telling him to go on.

"Just letting you know, I'll change that."

"We'll see," I scoffed with a soft laugh as I went back to folding.

"Oh, you will."

* * *

The next day, I woke up alone, seeing a yellow sticky note next to my nightstand with some cursive on it. No doubt it was from John, giving a reason for his absence and then possibly plans to meet up with me later to go to his sister's for Christmas. But instead, I read:

_"You're as stubborn as a mule. _

_ We leave at 8._

_Don't miss me too much, Meredith."_

"Bastard," I hissed as I got up from the side of the bed and glanced at the clock, not really giving a fuck what time it was. I noticed a voicemail on my phone and listened to it.

"Hello, Ms. Kuchiki. This is Dr. Raymond Scotto from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital. I'm calling to inform you that your brother's belongings are still in the hospital, and that today is the last day to pick them up."

Quickly pushing '7' to delete the message, I left the house in the same clothes I slept in and went out. Arriving at the hospital, I went over to the office desk to ask the old, haggard, and presumably bitchy nurse for directions.

"Excuse me," I spoke up. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki, I'm here to pick up my brother's, Byakuya Kuchiki's belongings?"

"Hold up a sec," She muttered as she typed the name into the computer. "Room 439. Take a right from the Kennedy Hallway and go on until you see it on your left."

"Thank you," I smiled before walking down the narrow hallway. In my mind, it seemed as if the two walls to my walls were getting smaller and smaller and closing in on me. The buzzing of people's thoughts flooded my head, and it was unnerving in comparison to yesterday. I thought maybe I was just more "conscious" now than the day before, but I didn't have an FAQ or manual as to how this whole mind reading thing works, so that's what I just assumed. Point is, hearing people's thoughts and God knows what else, not really the things you want to hear as you walking to go pick up your dead brother's stuff.

"433, 435, 437," I muttered, and then looked up at the door in front of me with a sigh. "439. Might as well get this over with."

Opening the door, I walked ever so slowly into the room that was the deathplace of Byakuya. There was an eerie vibe already and I felt the hairs on my skin rise with fright just by being there. What's even weirder, I think I could even smell him a little bit. I walked to the bed and just stared at it, remembering his bloody body and the face he had on that day. I was in a trance of total and complete fright and was more or less paralyzed.

The sound of the door being locked revived my consciousness, and when I went to turn around, I saw Dr. Milovic staring at me, though he looked as if something was bothering him.

"Damir," I began, wondering why he was here. "Aren't you supposed to be work-"

"Shut up," He growled in a whisper as he grabbed me and pinned me against the wall, locking lips with me, but I resisted. Kicking and screaming, I tried to get him off of me, but I had the upper body strength of a kitten. I then bit his lips with my canines, making him recoil with a hiss.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He yelled.

"What the fuck is wrong with me? What the fuck is wrong with _you?" _I shrieked, wiping the saliva off my lips with my sleeve. "You can't just barge in here and make out with me!"

"Oh, you know you wanted to too," The doctor rolled his eyes as he cornered me. "After all, you _do _need some closure to get over your brother, right? Let me give you some-"

I slapped him, my chest heaving with a mix of rage and disappointment. "Like hell."

"Then why'd you lead me on like that, huh?"

Choosing my words carefully, I barely managed to mutter, "Because I was weak. And I'm sorry, but I can't see you. I'm seeing someone-"

"That didn't stop you the last time."

"It was just a kiss!"

"You fuck with everybody like this?"

"I beg your pardon?" I glared.

"Was I just a "in the moment" kind of guy? A pick-me-up?"

"I don't know where the hell you're getting this impression of me being a maneater, but I think you better leave before I say something I'm _really _going to regret," I growled, making my way to storm out of the room, but a hand pulled me back.

"Aren't you in the least bit curious as to what _really _happened that night?"

"That night we kissed? I'd rather not. God knows what's going in your sick head."

He laughed. "Not that one. The night you "passed out" from hypothermia while at your grandfather's. That night we took a walk."

'What are you talking about? It's just as you said, I passed out because I was out in the cold too long."

"Or at least, that's what you were told, right?"

I stare at him, puzzled look and all. "What are you getting at?"

"Something strange happened that night, didn't it?"

I remembered the eerie events that happened over there. That _beast _attacking me, a dragon killing it right in front of me, etc, etc. "Don't be ridiculous," I snapped.

"Something _did _happen."

"You're obviously on something," I shrugged it off as I made my way towards the door, but he blockaded the exit again.

"Tell the truth."

"Why are you so persistent?"

"Because you need to know what's going on right here, right now," Damir spoke in a tone that was as eerie as powerful. "So I'm going to tell you."

"Tell me…what?" I blinked.

"I'm a daemon."

I shot him a skeptical look, but his face was as solid as stone. And it wasn't budging. I then had an idea, but I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not. Well, this guy is parading that he is a mythological being. Why not do something crazy too?

I grabbed the sides of his head with my hands and made an attempt to see what he was thinking. You didn't need to be psychic to know that he was questioning my action, but I was blank. I only heard silence.

"You…okay?"

"I can't hear you," I muttered.

"I said, ARE YOU OKA-"

"No, I can't hear what you're thinking," I let go of him and turned around, thinking why this happened. This never happened before. I think.

But when I heard laughter and snorting, I felt a nerve pop to life.

"You can't read minds," He guffawed. "You're just a human."

"Am I? Let's put it to a test then," I opened the door, which showed the mini-lounge/reception desk. Looking around, I scouted for candidates and quickly scanned their heads. I pointed to a man walking up to a nurse at the reception desk. "You see that guy? He's gonna ask that chick for some coffee later at Café Bleu after work. And that nurse sitting in that chair over there? She's worried about her kids. Her break starts in exactly one minute. She'll pick up the phone and call the babysitter to check up on her twins."

"And when she does, I'll ask her, just to see if you really _are _serious," He chuckled, waiting across from me in the doorway of the room, the both of us watching her like hawks.

And sure enough, she picked up that phone and when she was finished with her conversation, Damir made his move over to her.

"Hello, Brenda," He flashed a grin. "You mind me asking who was that you just talked to?"

"Oh, just checking up on the twins. They're such a handful, and I just hired the babysitter, so I don't know how she'll handle them. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. You just looked a bit worried earlier," He muttered as he walked away.

"Well, thank you for being concerned, Doctor Milovic!"

He raised a hand behind him as he walked back towards me, an unamused look on his face as he closed the door. "You can just read body expressions well, that's all."

"Heads-up, Raymond's about to ask you on how that craniotomy on Carl Lewis went," I yawned.

"S'cuse me," A gruff voice opened the door.

"Not now, Raymond," Damir growled, and Raymond slowly closed the door and left us alone.

"Believe me now?" I asked, but he wasn't in the least bit happy about this discovery. "You look scared. Hell, _I'm _the one who should be scared, if anything. _You're _the one with fangs and claws."

"Have you always been like this?" He questioned in a paranoid-like kind of manner as he sat down, staring down at the ground, and then to me. "Well?"

"I've been like this for…" I rambled as I hopped on the bed, trying to remember. "Three months? Normally, I try to block out people's thoughts, because last time, it didn't quite go so well. So, I only read if I absolutely need to, and even then, I hate poking. Feels like I'm invading their privacy. I don't know how I can do it, but I know it's specific."

"Why?"

"I can't hear you," I stared at him blankly.

"It probably just doesn't work against supes," He shrugged.

"Soo-what?"

"Supes. Short for supernatural, like myself. So, your mind-reading trick probably works on only humans."

I shook my head. "I've read the mind of a monster before."

"Your boyfriends do not count."

"Dumbass, I'm not talking about that," I hit him. "I'm talking about an _actual _monster. I met one, while I stayed at my grandfather's."

"What kind of monster was it?"

"I dunno. But before I tell you, give me actual proof that you are a "supe"."

"Shouldn't you have asked that earlier?"

"Just show me," I ignored his remark.

"Very well then," He shrugged as he propped his mouth wide open, flashing four teeth that popped out, two from the top and two from the bottom. Now, you might be thinking of a cat's or dog's teeth, where they have four teeth between the fangs, but this guy's had only two.

"You could be a vampire, not a demon," I pointed out. "Need more proof."

"This whole vampire craze really pisses me off," He muttered as he rolled down his sleeve down to his elbow and held it in front of me. Before I knew it, an opaque black mist engulfed the hand and within in a couple of seconds, it was gone and a ebony-dark violet talon had replaced it. It looked human-like in structure, with the exception of the skin color and claw length.

I eyed it with pique. "Can I touch it?"

"It's just a hand. It's not poisonous or anything."

"Well, I don't know this kinda stuff! Better safe than sorry," I grumbled as he placed it in my hands.

The texture was thick, but smooth, and his hand was probably a hand and half bigger than mine. My fingers went over every bump and square inch of the palm. I couldn't help it though. I mean, how often does this kind of thing come along? What I was really amazed at were the claws. They were sharp enough to rip a throat, that was for sure; but I didn't see them as being "scary". I thought they were pretty friggin' amazing, to be honest. I squeezed the hand and then looked up at the man.

"How long have you been a demon? Or how old are you?"

"Pretty long time," He shrugged. "So, you believe me now?"

"One more question," I pouted.

"Fine."

"Do you kill people?"

He was silent then, staring at the ground and avoiding eye contact with me. That black mist surround his hand again and before I knew it, it was back to being normal. Er, _human _normal, that is.

"In general, yes. But I've been around for a while to withstand my hunger until I can find some other resource for food."

"And just what _is _your food?"

"It's…complicated to explain."

"Might as well tell me now, before some other big, bad demon tries to bite me," I teased, but he didn't share in my humor.

"It's life."

"Being poetic, are you?"

"No. Literally, it _is _life. Not blood or flesh, but the _thing _that makes us alive. Me, you, animals, trees, there's that _essence _in every one of us. Humans have a fairly high ratio of it."

"I don't get it."

He sighed. "Think of it this way: without life, your body is no better than a machine. When you walk, your brain sends a message to your legs to move the muscles, but what actually makes them move?"

"You expect me to believe that there is some kind of otherworldly chemical in every living being?"

"Not a chemical," The man held up a finger. "But _life. _Some call it magic, juju, shaman's voodoo, whatever. They're all synonyms of the same thing."

"So, you feed off of someone's _life. _What happens then?"

"They're just a conscious, but soulless corpse then. Better than vampires, I might add."

"And so the zombie riddle has been solved."

"More or less. The more decent of us will leave some with some morsel of a conscious. It takes time to recover, but at least their soul is still intact."

"And that'd be you?"

"I don't feed on humans. I get mine from a private source."

"Wow. Even supes have black market deals."

"Kinda have to when almost every species despises you," Damir shrugged. "So, back to you. What was this monster you saw?"

"I don't know," I shivered, feeling disgusted just by the image of it that was stuck in my head. "I-It looked like a naked human, but its tail was from its spine, and its eyes were pure black."

"Did you take a look at its feet?"

"No…why?"

"If they were backwards, it's an Abari. They were called Abarimon, but we keep things short and simple. They are just cursed cannibal humans. Awfully fast though. You didn't get bitten, did you?" He grabbed my chin and turned my head both ways, and I slapped his hands off of me.

"Nope. A dragon killed it."

"You sure it wasn't just kind of serpent?" The raven-haired man scoffed. "Dragons have been extinct for…at least a millennia. They died out."

"I have proof," I held up my necklace.

"…A necklace. Cool. Did it compliment it or something?"

"I'm serious! Look," I turned it around to the part where the once broken pieces were molded together.

"It seems as if it's joined together. You want me to break it?" He lifted a single claw, and I backed up slowly.

"No! This is a gift. And it's pretty."

"Lemme take a look at that," He muttered as he took a look at the jewel, eyeing it with the upmost precision. "Who gave you this necklace?"

"It was a present from…an employee," I fibbed, thinking that the truth might imply something.

"And when did you get it?"

"Around…three months ago?"

"That a coincidence?" He raised his eyebrows. "With the mind trick and all?"

"Dunno."

"Let's test it," He hooked his claw under my necklace and once I saw that he was trying to break it, I tried slapping his hand again, but I don't think he felt a thing.

"What are you doing?" I growled. "I don't want my necklace broken."

"Look at it this way: if that thing gave you the slightest bit of psychic skills, then too much of it is definitely a bad thing."

"How?"

"Sometimes it's better not to know everything."

I just stared at him, giving him a look that demanded more information.

"Take me, for example. I can literally smell the fear on your skin. You are scared of me, aren't you? Whether it's my skin, fangs, claws, or the fact that I just tried to hook up with you earlier, you _are _scared of me. And judging by your scent, you are scared of a lot of things as well," He sniffed. "Other people?"

"What's your point?"

"If a hostile supernatural picked up the fact that you feared them, well, logic and sense will fill in the blanks."

"Oh. OH!" I got it. "Oh, that wouldn't be too swell."

"So, without your necklace, you won't be psychic. The psychic effects should wear off gradually."

"I see," I nodded. "Well, break the thing already then."

It only took him the single clip of his pointer and thumb claw to break the miniscule thing. Catching it with his other palm, he handed the broken necklace to me. "So, now that I know your _secret, _is there any hope for us to still be talking?"

I snatched the necklace out of his hand. "Are you shitting me?"

"I can do things he can't," He whispered huskily while toying with a strand of my hair. "And once you done playing with him, I'll be there."

"Ha," I scoffed as I pushed his hand out of the way before leaving.

"One more thing," Damir added, making me pause in my tracks. "Whoever gave you that necklace, be careful. If you're talking to supes, you better hide it. That thing isn't human."

"What are you saying?" I looked back at him with confusion. "It's not like the person who gave me this _wanted _me to be psychic. At least I hope not."

"Maybe, but maybe there's another reason?"

"Like?"

"Maybe they might be supes too."

"That just contradicts what you just said though."

"And the people you might be working with might be supes too. You're close friends with your co-workers?"

"A couple. What are you-"

"Nel asked me to kill her," He blurted suddenly with a scowl.

"…What…?"

He then explained to me _everything _that happened that night with all of the drama at TR. Of course, he didn't know the events, just the stuff that happened _after. _To be more specific, Nel's encounter with him and her death wish. I can't even explain how infuriated I was. Of all things to hide, she chose _this. _And being a supe.

"I can't believe this," I shook my head. "Just when you think you know someone, you're left looking like a dumbass because you've been lied to all this time."

"It's not necessarily lying." Damir butted. "And it's not only her. Every supe for themselves. It's not like we can openly admit it. Imagine your reaction just now to the squared root of freezing hell over."

"I know that, but she could've at least…she could've _hinted _it!"

"Room 204. Two rights and a left."

I was about to ask what he meant, but I put two and two together and got the picture. Giving a nod in thanks, I stormed out of the room and marched in the directions that he gave me, and sure enough, I saw the woman.

"Rukia!" She exclaimed, but I made no plan on stopping to greet her. "What a sur-"

I slapped the side of her face as soon as I get to her, and she slapped me right back.

"The hell's wrong with you?" She hissed.

I pulled her by the hair into the storage closet and closed the door, glaring at her with eyes of rage.

"Well? You gonna tell me why you slapped me or not? 'Cause I'm sure as hell 'bout to slap the shit outt-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded, but she acted like she didn't know what I was talking about.

"You better start making sense, Rukia."

"I know about your death wish. And about you being a supe. And how you didn't tell me."

Her mouth dropped slightly, but then shut back up. "What was I supposed to do, Rukia? I didn't know how'd you react?"

"Well now you know!" I shouted, and I couldn't even stand to look at her, that's how upset I was.

"How?"

"The demon doc."

"…It's more than just wanting to die."

"Oh, is it now?" I laughed "Then please enlighten me."

"I'll tell you when we aren't crammed in a closet. But first, why did he tell you?"

"Are you really going to ask why someone told me the truth?"

"I see what you mean. But you're just a human, why would he-"

"I've been able to read minds for three months now, around the time I met you. And to be honest, it's scaring the shit outta me. Especially with all this supernatural stuff now going on in my head. Damir thinks it might be because of the necklace Boss gave me. So, I'm testing that theory."

"Who else knows about you being…?"

"Just you two."

"And Boss?"

"No. I can't."

"Why not? He knows about everybody else."

"Everybody else being…?"

"The people at TR."

_Oh, you're a clever on, Doctor._

"Ironically," She continued. "That was TR's purpose. To give supes a place to be safe, even though there's always danger surrounding it."

"So, is everyone a supe?" I asked.

"Not at all. They're a few humans, like you, Renji, Shuhei, Mashiro, and Rangiku, as well as a few others. Some know about us, some don't."

"But wait, what about Grimmjow?"

"Oh, he's a supe. Shifter, to be precise, and almost always does he shift into a panther. It's a different story with shifters, but they're supes all the same."

"I never would guessed. He acts like a human."

"Well, he used to be. Long story. Anywho, we have to hide ourselves. If word got out there were our kind around, there'd be chaos and mayhem. Not to mention the government would purge everyone and exterminate every single one of us."

"I see. And John?"

She coughed and caught her breath before speaking. "Human. But he does know about us."

"So, should I tell him about my situation?"

"Don't, to be on the safe side. With supe/hume relations, it's always tricky. Take my word for it."

"Ah," I muttered, feeling a bit disappointed.

"There's a time and place for everything. He might be a pain in the ass, but he isn't heartless. To you, at least. He'll understand."

"I hope so," I shrugged. "Anyways, tell me what _really _went down at TR. And cut the bullshit with this version please."

"It's more or less the same deal. Renji got drunk, threatened me, Grimm got involved and nearly shifted. And the fact that it was in front of a bunch of humes is a serious offense."

"Hume?"

"Lingo for human."

"Oh. Go on."

"And after that, we got a bomb threat, and I guess my stress levels went through the roof, as I was coughing up blood and went to the hospital. I met your friend there and asked for his help with…yeah."

"Yeah," I tried not to dwell on that idea.

"Everybody got punished. Grimm especially. He can't shift for three months. Imagine wanting to pee, but you couldn't for three months."

"You're comparing a shifter to a person needing to piss?"

"Well, it's like that, but to a huger degree. Like, _way _huger. But as I was saying, Boss is mainly upset with me because he put me in charge that night and I couldn't handle it."

"So that's what you and John were fighting about," I cracked the puzzle.

"Yeah. He's…real close with Boss. He's his…right-hand man, kinda."

"That explains a lot of things."

"One thing, Rukia," Nel looked directly at me. "Don't blab about this whole psychic deal. Techinically, you're not a supe until you can prove that it isn't just the necklace that's giving you that side-effect. And you haven't been around for long. But if you ever have a question, you're more than welcome to ask me. Also, if you sense someone isn't human, do _not _react_. _If they pick up on it, they'll either A, kill you, or B, run away and then kill you. We're very hostile towards humans. Sorry."

"So I've been told," I smiled.

"However, you don't need to worry while you're down at TR. Most of our kind working there have been human for a while and have plenty control."

_"That's more than I could say for _some _people," _Nel thought, and I found it kind of funny that she wasn't aware of it, despite me telling her a couple of minutes ago.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked.

"I'm sorry," I giggled. "I guess I'm one of those people that you could say have no control. It just popped into my head."

"What..oh…eavesdropper! Stop listening to my thoughts!"

"I can't help it! There's no on/off switch! I can only _try _to block it out!"

"I'll ask Yoruichi later if she could help out with this. Treat that lady right, she's a hell of a helpful hand, I'll tell ya."

I was quiet then, and I was trying to process all of this new data inside of my head, but my brain wasn't on the highest speed connection for doing so.

"It's a bit too much?" She asked.

"Just a little," I admitted.

"For what it's worth, you're taking it better than I had expected," Nel tried to offer some piece of happy news, but I'd need far more than that.

"Because today wasn't my first encounter with supes"

_And I had a feeling it wasn't going to be my last._

* * *

A/N: Howdy y'all. So, after brainstorming, I am really hyped about writing the next three chapters, and they will be tres amusantes:] And very dramatic, I might add. Gimme time, because they are going to be longer than the normal 11-15 page. Prolly 20? Dunno. Anywho, in other news, I got a tumblr, and if you're interested, I'll update on SP over there. Msg me for the link:]

Oh yeah, and if you can spot the hidden reference in this chapter, I'll love you forever.

_Kanita out~  
_


	18. (Not a chapter, but important news!)

For convenience purposes, I am relocating this story to my new Fanfiction account, as posted on my profile. I am so sorry if this is bothersome, but I plan on closing this account so I can revise my writings. This story will have a whole new _redux _to it, while sticking to the same plot line. **Several things to come are:** shorter chapters; cleaner and precise writing (now that I've gained more experience); frequent updates; references to the current arcs in the manga (new characters included); and better response time. I will be deleting this story one week from now, but for now, please bare with the clean up. I promise the story will be so much smoother with the revision.

Much thanks,

-S


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